Mipha's Beloved
by SilentN
Summary: Much work and danger lies ahead of Link in his quest to free the remaining Divine Beasts. So much has been lost to him since the calamity struck; his home; his friends; his family; his memories... But of all the losses he is trying to cope with, perhaps SHE was the greatest of all... (WARNING: Contains MAJOR BotW spoilers! Do not read if you haven't finished Zora's Quest!)
1. My Empty Home

**Disclaimer:** _The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and all of it's characters are the property of Nintendo. I do not, in any way, own, nor claim to own, any of the trademarked characters or content used for this fan-fiction. This is a fan-made story written for entertainment purposes only. No copyright violations intended. (Of course, you already knew all this, but I have to say it anyway just to avoid trouble from any instigators out there who have nothing better to do with their time than to go around and falsely accuse fan-fiction writers of committing copyright violations.)_

* * *

 **Mipha's Beloved  
** _A fan's adaptation of a side-story from Breath of the Wild_

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" _Recall the Champion of Ruta's wrath,  
_ _before she walked her chosen path.  
_ _Mipha's kindness was known to all,  
_ _which is why the princess came to call."_

 _~Ballad of Champion Mipha, Composed by Kass_

* * *

 **Chapter 1  
** _My Empty Home_

The rain falls steadily upon the mountaintops as I make my way back to Hateno Village with my latest catch in my bag: a sizable Hyrule bass impaled with an arrow. This weather isn't exactly the best for climbing in, but it's been more than a week since I've last been out this way and I do enjoy the view, so I don't mind taking the little extra stretch.

Standing atop Ebon Mountain, I look out to the sea. The weather doesn't really make for the best view, but the sight of the water gives me a sense of nostalgia for my childhood days spent splashing in the waters of Lanayru with my closest friends.

Not that I remember those days very well... That's kinda the problem with being an amnesiac. But being around the water does still invoke a sense of familiarity, at least. And so I like to try and imagine myself living back in those days again and hope to awaken some more of these lost memories that I feel so nostalgic for.

Turning around, I resume my hike back to Hateno. It's just a short trip. I then take notice of a man standing all the way out here near a pond on the mountaintop, which I find odd. It's not often you see another Hylian out in the rain like this. Especially not so far from the path! It seems somewhat suspicious...

 _I should find out what's up with this unusual character. He could be lost. Or worse; he could be a disguised member of the Yiga Clan causing trouble..._

I approach with caution, keeping a firm grip on my weapon in case I need to draw it suddenly. There's no telling what kind of lunatic this guy could be. Hyrule has a lot of lunatics. I should know that better than anyone by now.

"Hey," I greet him casually, not allowing my suspicion to show to keep him off guard in case he might be dangerous. You can't be too careful.

"Huh? Wha_?" he says as he snaps out of his thoughts at the sound of my greeting. It appears he was beginning to doze off. "Oh, hey, kid," he says to me. "You here to meet your soulmate too?"

I raise a brow in confusion. "Huh?"

 _Meet my soulmate? What is he talking about?_

He merely laughs at my response. "Hey, don't be shy. I'm here for the same reason, after all," he replies, as if trying to reassure me there's no need to be embarrassed while pointing down at the pond he stands beside. "Why else would anyone come all the way out here? To be honest, though, I've been waiting for a pretty long time, and...well... Nobody's shown up yet. I thought this was the _'sweetheart's pond'_ everyone talks about, but maybe I'm in the wrong place?"

 _The 'sweetheart's pond'..?_

I take another look at the pond he is talking about and notice that it's shaped very much like a heart. But with a short wall of stone zigzagging through the middle, making it more like a broken heart.

 _Oh, that's right! I think I heard something like this before..._

There's an old legend about a heart-shaped pond said to exist in Hyrule. It is believed by some that any couple who meets at that pond is destined to find eternal love together.

 _Okay, I think I get it now. This fellow believes this pond to be the one from the legend and is waiting out here in hopes that some single woman will come by and he'll find a soulmate in her._

"Where's that special someone I've been waiting for?" he continues to vent, seemingly growing discouraged. "Is this a sign? Should I put myself out there more?"

I am skeptical about the legend, or that this pond is even the one he thinks it is. "Try another pond," is all I can think to say to him at the moment.

"Hmm. Hmmmmm..." he mutters, as if taking my words into deep consideration. "You really think that'll help?"

 _I guess he may be more serious about this than I thought..._

I'm not exactly what you'd call an expert on this sort of thing, but I feel as if I should offer this poor guy some sort of actual advice. Meeting a nice woman to settle down with is obviously pretty important to him, but that's not likely going to happen via his current approach.

"Not really..." I admit, taking back my sarcastic remark and trying to think of something more meaningful to say. "I mean; you can't just expect some pond to find a soulmate for you. You'll have to put in some effort of your own and always strive to be the best version of yourself if you expect someone to consider you as her ideal match. Surely some woman out there will come to notice and appreciate you for what you're really worth if you just openly and honestly express yourself, not trying to hide your true self, but always seek to improve who you are when necessary. Just... Believe in yourself!"

 _I'm not quite the best with words, so that may have been rather abrupt, but I hope I said the right thing that can make a real difference for this man..._

"Are you trying to cheer me up? Because don't worry about me!" he replies, perking up just fine. "My mom always said, _'You can do anything you put your mind to, Mimos'_."

 _'Mimos', huh? So that's his name, I guess._

"Anyway, what about you?" he asks me, as if he considers me to be the one in need of advice. "Putting your faith in some silly legend won't make the ladies come calling!"

"Huh?" I stand somewhat confused by his remark. "Wait_ What makes you think _I'm_ out here because of some legend?"

"Heh heh. It's pretty obvious to me!" he laughs, as if assuming I'm just trying to hide my embarrassment. "You must be pretty hungry for love yourself if you'd come all the way out here in this kind of weather!"

"What?! No! I_" I begin to say, but then quickly decide that I have more important things to do than waste my breath trying to explain myself to someone I don't even know. "Oh, never mind... Good luck on your search..." I say as I turn to leave.

He just laughs and waves me off. "Yeah, and you on yours, buddy!" he teases, still convinced that I'm just as desperate to meet a girl as he is, but too ashamed to admit it for myself.

 _Meh. Whatever._ I just shrug and continue on my way with no concern of what he says. I really couldn't care less what people think. Nor about finding my soulmate.

After all...

 _How can you hope to find someone who's been lost by death?_

I make my way back through Hateno Village and to my house there, which I had purchased not long ago. I was told that the place had been vacant for years and was planned to be demolished, but having no place of my own, I saw this as a good opportunity and offered to buy it instead. Bolson, the man in charge of the demolition, had agreed to let me buy the place at a discount price of only 3,000 rupees in exchange for a large haul of wood, which I managed to provide, and so everything worked out well. He was even kind enough to provide me with a free weapon mount as a bonus!

Having only one main room and a loft, it's not a very big place, but that's all that's necessary for me, as I don't quite live there like any ordinary home-owner would. My quest prevents me from truly making anyplace my home, as I spend most of my days traveling through the wilderness on my journey to free the Divine Beasts, and so this small house of mine is mainly just a place where I can rest my head and store my extra supplies in between travels, which is just what I was looking for.

As I arrive, I notice Bolson and his employee Karson still sitting vacantly on my lawn beneath the tree even in this rainy weather, which they've been doing ever since I told them I'd buy the place when they were about to demolish it (Yeah, it's pretty weird)... I notice Bolson seems to be eating a plate of fruitcake as he sits. _Wouldn't that be a form of cannibalism in his case?_

In all honesty, one of the reasons I had thought that buying this house would be a good idea is because of the way it's located in such a desolate corner of the village where I _thought_ I'd get plenty of privacy. But I somehow overlooked the possibility that the carpenters would still be there loitering in front of it...

Every

Single

Day.

I can understand them taking a break on the lawn back during the time when I had asked them to cancel the demolition to let me buy the house and they were waiting for the wood that I had promised to gather... But why are they still sitting around even after I've bought and payed for the place and have moved in?! They do eventually go away at night...only to come right on back to spend the entire day sitting on my lawn again the very next morning! Where's the logic in _that?!_

Sure, it does make it convenient to find them whenever I need something built for me, but I sure would have thought that they'd have moved on and gotten back to their regular carpentry a _long_ time ago instead of sitting on my lawn all day each and every day! And even when I do hire them to build something, they always seem to finish the job in record time...only to sit back down on my lawn again the instant the work is complete and continue to spend the rest of the day there!

Seriously, don't these guys have anything better to do with their time? I mean; they sent Hudson, the third member of their crew, off to Alkala to start a new branch of the company, and he's now out there trying to build an entire new village single-handed from the ground up, and he's been struggling to find any acceptable help because of Bolson's weird rule that no one is allowed to work for the company unless their name ends in "-son". So even if they don't have any work to do around here at the moment, wouldn't it make more sense if they'd be out there in Alkala helping him build instead of sitting around here on their lazy butts all day?

And even if they _really do_ have to sit around vacantly all the time -which I doubt- why must it be on my lawn?

As I head in, I walk by as quickly as possible and avoid all eye-contact with them. If I don't need to hire them for anything, then I'd much rather not have to interact. If I did, Bolson would probably just start showing me that ridiculous signature dance of his again, anyway.

 _Yeesh!_ The very idea of that torturous image makes me want to disinfect my poor eyes...

While it's true that they're good carpenters, and they do seem to be quite generous, but I'd be lying if I claimed not to find them creepy in any way. When I had hired them to build my house a door, I made sure to install the lock myself after they left for the night so that I'd know they can't get in while I'm not around (or worse; while I _am_ here and asleep), since they obviously spend _way_ more time here on my property than I ever could.

I often find myself thoroughly searching my house for any possible hidden cameras that they could have secretly installed in here for whatever creepy reason. I don't _think_ they'd have access to that sort of technology, but then again, there _is_ a tech lab right here in Hateno. I'm not taking any chances with these weirdos.

I hastily close and lock the door behind me upon entering. After glancing around the room once again for anything that could possibly conceal a hidden camera, I remove my wet clothes and hang them to dry after determining it safe to undress.

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised at the totally weird behavior of these kooky carpenters; I've met a LOT of weirdos on my travels. You've got the local Sheikah scientist who is over a hundred years old but with the appearance and behavior of a small child; another from Alkala standing some three feet tall and in love with his ancient oven (much to the nerve of his jealous wife, who is some fifty years younger than him); there's that hotel clerk who says it's her dream to own a collection of 100 crickets; some elderly painter who's claims to have spent his entire life traveling the world in search of beauty to capture in his art...yet all his paintings still look like they've been made by a five-year-old; there's that legion of bloodthirsty assassins out to kill me who have an inexplicable obsession with bananas; oh, and don't even get me started on those creepy Great Fairies! _Yeesh!_ Living nightmare material right there! _I can see why people eventually stopped coming by their springs to offer them rupees._

There are also those kinds of weirdos who scream aloud in panic and/or look at you funny whenever they see you walking around town in your underwear. I really don't get what their problem is. _It's not like I've got some sort of skin condition or anything!_ Though I notice it only seems to be human races that react this way, so I've learned that it's best to just always stay clothed around other humans. They can be so strange sometimes...

I've also encountered people who get confusingly offended whenever I stand atop the counters of their shops or when I smash their pots. You know, just minding my own business like any regular person would do.

Like, seriously; if you've got such a problem with other people wanting to break your pots, maybe you should keep them in a better protected area or put up a _'DO NOT BREAK'_ sign instead of just leaving them out inside your unlocked house for a random trespasser to come in and smash! I mean; naturally, any innocent traveler who decides to let themselves into your house without permission and sees your pots laying out in the open like that is immediately going to assume that they're there for them to break! It's just common sense! Don't blame me if you were too reckless to properly secure your belongings better! It's your own fault for being so misleading!

Yup. It's like I said earlier; Hyrule has a _lot_ of lunatics. _I'm just glad I'm not one of them._

After getting out of my wet clothes, I set the fish I caught today down on the table to be prepared to cook later. I take another look around my little house. It's just as I left it after my last short stay here: desolate and neglected...

Yes; quite neglected.

Truthfully, the place looks more like an empty storage house than an actual home, and considering the way I use it, I suppose it could be called just that. There is only one thing in here that is truly eye-catching; my most prized possession: the regal trident displayed on the weapon mount hanging on the wall.

It's not just any regal trident; it's the one and only Lightscale Trident, which I could never dare take into battle. I know it may sound silly to have such a powerful weapon and never want to use it in combat like it was made for, but I couldn't bear to get even the smallest scratch on it.

I look upon it fondly. I notice that it has collected a little bit of dust since my last stay here. _This won't do!_ I take it down from the wall and delicately wipe it with a cloth.

Of course, it's no surprise at all that it would collect dust; this whole place is dusty! I really don't have the time to stay and keep this house tidy like any good home-owner should, but I'm not too concerned with the condition of my house right now when my quest is such a high priority...

But I _am_ concerned about the condition of the Lightscale Trident. A treasure this precious must never be allowed to suffer neglect.

Having thoroughly removed every last speck of dust I could find, I then proceed to wipe the dust from the weapon mount it belongs on; it wouldn't do to set something so precious on a dusty mount! Once the weapon mount is also clean, I gently set the cherished trident back on its place on the wall. It looks so out of place on such a modest weapon mount and really should be displayed someplace far more grand, but this is unfortunately the best that I can give it right now.

I stare with both admiration and heartbreak at the sacred trident on my wall. The sight of it always fills me with mixed emotions. I reach out and tenderly stroke my fingers across it's surface.

A sigh of regret and sadness passes through my lips as I think about the one whom the Lightscale Trident had belonged to...

As did my very heart.

"Mipha..."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! So I had actually started this story a long time ago, before I had even finished playing _Breath of the Wild,_ but I've been working on it very slowly, since _TriSpirit,_ another _Legend of Zelda_ fanfic I'm working on, has been a higher priority, plus I also wanted to match the dialogue in this story to the actual game's as best as possible, but it's been kind of hard to find the references to the NPCs' lines that I'm looking for on the internet (especially since so many playthroughs on YouTube prefer to skip NPC dialogue altogether!), but now that I've started a second playthrough of the game of my own in Master Mode, I've been able to take notes and write down the dialogue as I go, so I've finally been able to get this story going!**

 **This will be sort of a retelling of Zora's Quest in BotW (which was easily the best part in the story, in my opinion), but with many original memories added and new stages of character development. And as you can see from reading this chapter; there will be quite a bit of humor involved as well. A lot of it will be poking fun at the odd behavior of the denizens of Hyrule, or at some of the strange cases of logic behind the _Legend of Zelda_ series in general. (Who doesn't like the craziness that is video game logic?) Reviews are always welcome, but I do respectfully ask that you please refrain from making any vulgar remarks and/or using profanity. Thank you.**


	2. A Hero's Calling

_History of the Zora, Part One: The Eternal Zora's Domain_

 _"The rains have blessed Lanayru since ancient times with an abundance of pure, clean water. Seeking a bounty of such water, the Zora gathered there. Thus, as the legends go, the domain was born 10,000 years ago. The land was also rich in ore, and so a unique form of stonemasonry was developed to create our new home. The domain is one giant sculpture, a feat of architecture that has drawn admirers the world over. Our great domain will ever stand as a hallmark of the esteemed artists who made it, an eternal symbol of Zora pride." ~King Dorephan_

* * *

 **Chapter 2  
** _A Hero's Calling_

With my cleaned fish roasting over the fire in a pot with some seasoning herbs for dinner, and my wet clothes hanging over the windows in compensation for my current lack of curtains in case any nosy carpenters might try looking in, I sit down at my small table after having finally just taken a real bath for the first time in a week; something that I don't get the chance to do everyday out in the wilderness.

As I wait for my dinner to finish cooking, I find myself staring yet again at the cherished trident mounted on my wall. I soon take out the Sheikah Slate and search through my photo album until I find my favorite picture in it; one that I had taken during a trip to Zora's Domain.

I gaze with both affection and sorrow at the image displayed on the screen: a picture of a beautiful statue of a young Zora woman wielding a trident in her hands...modeled after the very trident displayed on my wall.

This statue was the first thing I had seen back when I had returned to Zora's Domain for the first time since losing my memory, and is what I always stop to pay my respects to every time I'm in the area.

And yet...I had completely overlooked it the first time I saw it. I merely passed it by after giving little more than a quick glance... I had no idea at the time just how precious it was to the Zoras...nor how precious it would immediately become for me once I would pay heed to it...

* * *

It started back one day not long ago, when I had just recently had my Sheikah Slate restored to its full functions by Purah after hearing from Impa the story of what took place 100 years ago and was told to first free the four Divine Beasts before taking on Calamity Ganon. And so, as my quest that would take me across all of Hyrule began, I soon found myself traversing the Lanayru Wetlands where I had spotted a shrine.

Now, these shrines can be found all across Hyrule and are believed to have been made some 10,000 years ago by the ancients of the Sheikah tribe. Only the wielder of the Sheikah Slate can enter them, and they each house an ancient monk who presents some sort of trial to help train the foretold hero destined to combat the Calamity (who is apparently me, though I have yet to learn how that decision came to be). Some of these trials are as simple as solving a puzzle, others involve having to fight against an ancient battle machine, still others tend to be a combination of both; requiring me to solve puzzles while fighting off machines and avoiding dangerous booby traps that try to knock me into a bottomless pit or something. No pressure.

As I entered the shrine, I heard the voice of the monk inhabiting it echo; _"To you who sets foot in this shrine... I am Daka Tuss. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial."_

The so-called ' _trial'_ was pretty simple. All I had to do was use the Magnesis (a rune on the Sheikah Slate that allows me to control polarity to manipulate metal objects magnetically, no matter what the size) to lift a large, metal bowl from the bottom of a pool of water and use it to scoop up some ancient orbs and drop them onto some pedestals to open the way forward.

In all honesty; I cannot begin to fathom why the ancient Sheikah thought that building such a trial would really be necessary. I mean; just how much funding did the construction of each and every one of these high-tech shrines cost the kingdom of 10,000 years ago, anyhow? I really don't see the logic behind using so much of the kingdom's resources and finances -as well as stationing a monk to spend an eternity waiting in here for the day a hero would finally come and complete this meaningless puzzle- on just a simple challenge that could have easily been created in full within a mere toybox on a conveniently smaller scale. But, hey, maybe that's just me.

When I reached the end of the shrine, I found the Sheikah monk in the same condition as all the others before him; bone-thin from having gone without food or drink for more than 10,000 years, and sealed away in a cubicle barrier of mystic energy designed to preserve him in stasis, keeping him alive even as the many centuries had passed so that he could fulfill his duty this day. (I always did think that must be one seriously boring existence for the poor guys...)

" _Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero..."_ he said to me as I approached and dispelled the barrier around him. (Apparently, mastering the ability to scoop orbs out of the water and drop them in their proper place is the work of a true hero?) _"In the name of Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb."_ A sphere bearing a Hylian crest appeared from the motionless monk and flew into my chest. His purpose fulfilled at long last, Daka Tuss's body broke apart into sparks of blue light and faded away, departing in peace for the next life. _"May the goddess smile upon you."_

"Um. Yeah... Thanks," I said awkwardly as I watched him disappear. "Bye, I guess..." For as many times as I witness this, I still can't quite get over how uncomfortable the whole thing is to watch some old guy pass away right before my eyes like that just because I completed his petty trial.

Still, I guess it brings the monks a great sense of fulfillment to at last be relieved from an eternity of stasis and finally be allowed to move on, and I do have need of the Spirit Orbs to grow stronger, so I just have to make sure to clear the trial of every shrine in Hyrule for both the monks' sake and mine, as well as for everyone relying on me as the hero who will combat the Calamity.

A new Spirit Orb acquired, I exited the shrine. Looking at my map (which was blank at the time, as I hadn't activated the local tower yet to extract the regional map of that area), I found myself feeling unsure where to go next. All I knew was that I was supposed to free the four Divine Beasts, though I still had no idea where to begin looking for them. Impa had told me that I could acquire all the information I would need about the beasts from the respective races associated with each of them; the Rito, Goron, Gerudo, and Zora tribes, to be specific. However, there remained one question that I found myself pondering without answer...

 _Where do I even find these tribes in the first place?_

The information I had to go by was vague, as was my current map. And although the names of the four races did sound familiar, I still had no recollection whatsoever of what they even looked like. So even if I did happen to find someone from one of those tribes, how would I even recognize them? _I guess I can't just expect someone to conveniently show up and__

"Ah! You there!" I heard a female voice suddenly call out to me. _Huh?_ I took a look around, but couldn't see anyone within the surrounding landscape. "Over here! Over heeere!" she continued to call out. Finally I spotted her_right where I would have least expected to see someone...

In the middle of the water.

Her name was Tula. She was a being unlike anything I had seen since my awakening; part woman, part fish! Yet somehow, the sight of her brought a feeling of familiarity. The minute I looked upon her, it suddenly felt completely natural to be addressed by someone from in the water. I almost felt foolish for not expecting it, as if this is the kind of conversation setting that happens everyday.

She looked me over up and down. Her eyes lit up with excitement. "I knew it! You are a Hylian, aren't you?!" she practically squealed with delight. "Yes, you _must_ be a Hylian! Otherwise you're one unfortunate-looking Zora!"

Suddenly I realized what she was; _a Zora! How convenient!_ "Yes, I'm a Hylian," I confirmed for her. I wasn't sure why she was so thrilled to see a Hylian, but I was probably just as pleased to run into a Zora. _Her timing couldn't be more perfect if she tried!_

"Well, your timing couldn't be more perfect if you tried!" she then said to me, as if mirroring my thoughts. "I was ordered by Prince Sidon to find a Hylian! I've been searching nonstop!"

I took a look around the small pool of water she was in; clearly not the kind of place someone in the middle of a search for a Hylian would stop to explore. The only apparent reason for anyone to stop at such a small, isolated pool like that would likely be either to bathe in private or to sneak in a break to splash around and play in the water. And in her case, the latter was most likely. " _'Nonstop',_ eh?" I said in a teasing tone.

"Yes, quite!" she replied, somewhat sheepishly. "I certainly wasn't just floating around and splashing in the water for fun!"

"Uh-huh... _Sure_ you weren't," I teased some more before getting back on track. "So anyway, who's this ' _Prince Sidon'_ , then?"

"Prince Sidon is a member of the distinguished Zora royal family," she explained as she turned to point toward a tower in the distance. "He's waiting at Inogo Bridge, which is at the other side of that tall tower. I do hope you'll agree to go there and meet with him."

I was a little confused by this abrupt request. _What does this Prince Sidon fellow want with a Hylian?_

"Ah, yes... You must be taken aback by such a sudden request," she said upon realizing her abruptness. "My apologies. For us Zora, this is our top priority right now. So I must beg you to grant my request."

"Um. Okay, I guess," I replied. "I'll head right over."

"Oh, and...if you do meet Prince Sidon..." she added hesitantly. "Perhaps don't tell him I was splashing about and playing in the water. Deal?"

"Not a word," I said with a chuckle before heading off.

* * *

It was a fairly long trip on foot, and I had encountered a few other Zora along the way; each requesting that I go and meet with their prince at Inogo Bridge. I still wasn't sure what they wanted a Hylian for, but they said it was urgent and that this Prince Sidon can explain when I meet him. Although my quest to free the Divine Beasts was a high priority, I could never turn a deaf ear to someone's plea for help. The least I could do is find out what's troubling them and see if there's really anything I could do to help out. Perhaps they could also help me in turn by telling me about the Divine Beast that's supposedly associated with their tribe.

By the time I had arrived at the Inogo Bridge that the Zora had pointed me to, a heavy rain was pouring down without cease. No sooner than I approached the structure did I hear a voice call out to me;

"Say, hey there! Young one!"

I looked around, even checking the nearby water this time, but didn't see anyone. The voice called out again;

"Up top! Above you!"

I looked up to see a tall Zora -and I do mean _tall;_ probably about ten feet in height!- standing atop one of the bridge's pinnacles and calling down to me. He jumped down and landed gracefully on his feet before me. "Pardon the entrance, but you're a Hylian, aren't you?" he said to me. "I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk..."

"Uh. Yes..?" I replied, still confused as to what all this fuss about Hylians is about, and also feeling somewhat intimidated by his massive size. Being the short guy I am, it's not like it's unusual for me to have to look up to someone like this...but usually not _that_ high! This guy's taller than two of me stacked on the other's shoulders!

"Aha! A Hylian! Yes, I knew it!" he exclaimed eagerly in a loud voice.

"Yeah, I'm a Hylian..." I confirmed again, though wondering who this loud Zora was. _Is he really that 'Prince Sidon' I was asked to meet with? He seems much too informal for royalty..._ "And you are..?"

"Oh, pardon me..." he quickly excused himself upon remembering his manners...only to reply all the more loudly; "I AM SIDON, THE ZORA PRINCE!" He struck a pose of enthusiastic determination and bore a toothy smile. "And what is your name? Go on, please tell me!"

 _He is..._

"My name's Link," I replied. "So, what's all th_"

" _Link?_ Your name is LINK?!" he said eagerly before I could ask my question. I wondered if that name meant anything to him. _Does he know who I am perhaps..?_ "WHAT A FANTASTIC NAME!" he loudly declared. _(Apparently not; he's just that overly enthusiastic...)_ "Hmm, though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard it somewhere before... Well, in any case, it is a strong name!" he continued, not relenting in his enthusiasm in the slightest; "To be honest, I've been watching you. I've seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person. Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!"

 _Well, he's not wrong..._

"That's right. ...I guess," I said with a shrug.

"AHA! JUST AS I SUSPECTED!" he exclaimed loudly. "I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled! YES! EXQUISITE!"

"Except maybe by your tendency to over-hype..." I muttered quietly as I shielded my ringing ears from his loud tone of voice. _Is he hard on hearing or something?_

"I have been searching for someone like you for a long while," he continued, completely oblivious to my remark; "A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power!"

 _Wait a second..! Where is he going with this..?!_

"Uh, wh-whatever for..?" I asked nervously while slowly backing away from him.

"Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta!" he explained. "Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior! Won't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?"

 _Okay. So he's just looking to recruit a formidable Hylian warrior? Alright. That I can handle._

"Wait_ The _Divine Beast,_ you say?" I said as I realized that the objective he was calling me to was likely also the very one that I was already supposed to be working on to begin with. "Sure thing."

"WOW! REALLY?!" he exclaimed before I had the chance to tell him that the Divine Beasts were the reason I was out traveling Hyrule in the first place. "Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!"

He went on to give me instructions on how to reach the domain by foot, since the cliffs were too wet and slippery from the rain to climb for a shortcut and I'm unable to just swim up the river like a Zora can. He warned me about there being monsters who have been known to attack travelers on that path with electricity and gave me an elixir that grants temporary shock-resistance upon consumption (although it apparently doesn't work on a Zora) in case I should encounter them. He then volunteered to scout ahead from in the water and report to me any potential danger he could foresee on my path.

Long story short: the plan worked pretty well. Although I did run into a few Lizalfos wielding electricity-discharging shock arrows on the path, Prince Sidon would call out to me every so often to warn me in advance of their presence so that I was ready for them when they attacked. Having had time to drink the shockproof elixir he gave me before I even saw the Lizalfos, their shock arrows were hardly a bother, and I was able to fight my way through the reptilian fiends' ambushes without too much trouble. I even collected a reinforced shield from them and a forked boomerang that can double as a sword, which I desperately needed since the weapons I had on hand were getting pretty badly damaged.

Eventually I made my way across the bridge known as _Luto's Crossing,_ which was built high above the river. "Hey! Link!" I heard Prince Sidon's voice call out to me again. "Look below! Down here!"

Looking over the rail, far down in the river below, I could see him calling out to me from the water. "Hey!" I called back to him. "How much farther to Zora's Domain?"

"You are still pretty far off, my friend!" he answered. "But I was sure you'd be passing over this bridge, so I have been waiting for you. You will be in Zora's Domain before you know it! In fact, I'm going to head that way too! I shall meet you there!" Suddenly his gaze turned towards the back of the bridge. "Whoa! Link!" he called out with a sudden tone of worry. "Beware, warrior! A monster approaches from behind you!"

"Huh?" I said as I began to turn around...

And saw a huge Moblin rushing in from behind and about to pummel me with its club! _Yikes!_

 _*Woosh!*_

I wasn't prepared for the moment. The Moblin attacked me before I even had the chance to draw my weapon. I just barely had enough time to jump out of the way of its surprise attack.

But that's all the time I needed...

As I moved out of harm's way, just narrowly avoiding a potential deathblow to the head, time itself took a momentary halt. The Moblin barely moving in this frozen moment of truth, I had plenty of time to draw my Lizal forked-boomerang before my feet even reconnected with the ground from having jumped back to avoid my enemy's blow. But the instant they did, I immediately rushed into the overgrown hellion and took him down with a mad flurry of combo attacks in slow-motion.

 _*Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!*_

As time returned to normal, the Moblin flipped backwards from the onslaught and toppled over the side of the bridge we were fighting on before it even knew what hit him. It perished as it hit the water with a splash.

"WHOA!" I could hear Prince Sidon exclaim in awe as the fallen beast dropped down into river next to him. "That was incredible! When I saw that beast about to attack, I feared that you would have not the time to react to the blow...but it turned out that _he_ was the one who hadn't the chance to counteract! I never knew Hylians were capable of such lightning-fast reflexes!"

"Well, actually, we're not..." I admitted. I couldn't just take credit for something I didn't quite do by my own physical strength.

"I beg your pardon?" Sidon asked.

"I said; I'm not really capable of those kind of _'reflexes'!"_ I said more audibly so he could hear. It was kind of awkward to be carrying a conversation across such a distance. "It only looked like that because time had...uh...stopped." ...That's when it occurred to me that this might be even _more_ unusual to try and explain.

Although he was pretty far down beneath me, I could see Sidon's eyes widen all the more. "I'm sorry, but did you say... _time stops_ when you attack?!" he asked with utmost shock. I nodded sheepishly. I really had no idea how I was going to explain this. "ASTOUNDING! I have known many great warriors, yet never have I heard of one with the power to stop time! It appears the goddesses have sent an even greater warrior our way than I could have imagined! With such power as yours on our side, Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! Speaking of; I will be on my way back there now. You will have to tell me more about this power once you arrive. Just keep following the path and you should be there in no time! Farewell for now!"

As he took off swimming upstream, I couldn't help but ponder... _How did I even acquire this ability in the first place?_ It's not the first time I used this power, but it's the first time I've tried to explain it to anyone...and I don't even know much about it myself. I wasn't sure how I would answer Sidon's questions about it once I would arrive at Zora's Domain, but I needed to get moving again before the effects of that shockproof elixir wore off and would leave me defenseless against any electricity-wielding monsters that may haunt the road ahead.

As I continued to follow the road to the domain, I began to feel a sense of familiarity towards the scenery. Of course, I figured that should only be expected, since I'm told that I had apparently accompanied Princess Zelda as her appointed knight in her travels all across Hyrule as she conducted the preparations to be made for combating the Calamity's foretold return, so it'd make sense to think that I would have more than likely journeyed by this road before during my forgotten past. In fact, I had already felt like this upon reaching a number of places throughout my journey since I awoke from my 100 year slumber.

However, as I grew closer to my destination, those feelings of familiarity began to grow even stronger than expected. Pretty soon, it was no longer mere _deja vu_ that I was feeling; it was more on the lines of nostalgia. Unlike when I first found myself back at places such as the respective roads to Kakariko or Hateno, which I know now that I had been to before in the past, this didn't just feel as if I was simply walking a repeated path; it felt more like...I was journeying _home._ I didn't understand this feeling, but I soon found myself growing more and more inwardly excited to be heading to Zora's Domain with each step I took.

Along the way, I came across a number of stone monuments that didn't appear familiar. They were a collection of historical records bearing the title; _"History of the Zora, As Told by King Dorephan"._ As the title suggested, they told a little about the Zora tribe's history; most of it seeming to ring a bell in the back of my mind, though I still had no recollection of hearing it before. I did stop to read a few, but I unfortunately couldn't stick around too long because of my hurry.

After a long hike, I at last caught sight of my destination ahead; _Zora's Domain!_ It was a great and scenic structure; well-crafted by expert stonemasons and flowing with an abundant outpour of water. Although I still couldn't recall seeing it before, looking upon it filled me with a mysterious sense of nostalgia unlike anything I had experienced since the day I awoke in the Shrine of Resurrection. It was still a ways off, but I would be there in just a few more minutes of hiking. (Good thing, too. Since I could already feel the effects from the shockproof elixir I got from Sidon wearing off.)

As I came to the final crossing before the domain, I noticed another monument nearby. Considering I was nearly at the doorstep of my destination and had no need to continue the rush, I decided to take a moment to stop and read what it had to say. It read as follows;

" _H***ory of the Zor*, Part S*ven. The H*ro Who D*feat*d the Ly**l. As t**d b* King Dorephan  
_ _T**re was a time when the p**ple of the land were thre**ened by the dr*** beast Ly*e* who lived on Pl**mu* M**ntain. But one Hy***n drove th* beast back an* re**ored p**ce to the do**in. Th* Zora Helm w*n in th*s fight i* no* north of *** in the r**ns near **** L*ke. It re**s ther* to h**or the d**ds of the he** L***."_

The words carved into the stone were just simply too difficult to read. Although I could guess what most of them were supposed to say, but some critical words were still just too rough to make out. It was clear to me that an interesting moment of history was written here, yet I couldn't understand enough to know what took place. But after standing out there in the rain for a good ten minutes or so trying to decipher it, I at last managed to figure out for myself _exactly_ what happened;

 _Time has_ _taken its toll on this..._

That's the most logical explanation I could possibly think of as to why the words on that monument ended up so rough and indecipherable. It _must_ be the reason! Having figured that part out, I decided to study the monument a moment longer to see if I could also figure out what those faded words had once said as long as my mystery-solving skills seemed to be in such working shape at the moment. Unfortunately, some of those key words were just plainly too rough and I had spent too long staring at that old monument already; something I realized after the sound of my stomach growling fiercely at me, demanding to be fed immediately, had snapped me out of my thoughts and back into the present. I figured I should get back on track and head to the domain before I would cause that Prince Sidon guy and the rest of the Zora who were probably waiting for me there to worry that I'm not coming.

And more importantly; before my grumbling stomach would get angry enough to bite me. At the rate it was growling, it sure sounded like it just might do so at any moment. I didn't want to take any chances.

In fact, I decided to play it safe and appease its growing rage by munching on a roasted fish skewer that I collected from the spoils of a deserted Lizalfos encampment (or at least it was _'deserted'_ by the time I got through it, if you know what I mean...) on the way to withhold its wrath from me. It wouldn't be a pretty picture to have my raging stomach screaming out any nasty language during my meeting with the Zora royal family after all.

No sooner than I set foot in the domain did I see Prince Sidon running eagerly to meet me. So eagerly, in fact, that I was afraid he wanted a bite out of my fish skewer!

 _It's MINE. I am NOT sharing..._

"I've been waiting for you, Link!" he greeted loudly with his signature enthusiasm. "Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!"

He then took off running before I could say even a single word... "Um... Hi?" I said awkwardly as he rushed on ahead.

 _Well, at least he didn't try to take a bite out of my fish skewer. I might have had to punch him if he did._

I meant to ask for details but he ran ahead so fast that I couldn't even tell where he took off to. I had to ask one of the guards standing nearby for directions to the throne room_but the response I got is what really caught me by surprise...

"Um, excuse me..?" I began to say, but the Zora guard gave me a shocked look as soon as he saw my face and his own quickly lit up immediately after.

"Huh? What is it?! MASTER LINK!" he exclaimed with a sudden excitement that left me unsure how to react. "Is it truly you? The Hylian Champion?!"

"Uh... Yes..?" I answered with utmost confusion.

"It's me! Rivan!" he continued; "We used to swim together when I was but a child... Remember?"

This had totally caught me off guard! This guy _knows me?!_ Is that really even possible?! I was told that I had been asleep for more than 100 years! Judging by this Zora appearance, I would have guessed he was probably around 40 years of age or so, but anyone who would have known me should be either long dead or old beyond measure by now! He couldn't possibly have known me_could he..?

Still... Something about what he had said did seem to inexplicably ring a bell somehow... "That sounds familiar..." I admitted as I took another appetizing bite from my delicious-tasting fish skewer, though I still couldn't comprehend how that could really be possible.

...After all; those Lizalfos I collected these baked fish from really didn't prepare them well at all. I swear they just cooked them raw without even properly scaling them first! How in the world do I still find something so poorly prepared so appetizing? The fact that it was so disgustingly soggy from the rain sure didn't make it any more appealing either! I don't know why I was still eating it_yet I was still thoroughly enjoying it and wouldn't dare put it down. Why do I love food so much?

Another thing that I found tough to chew (albeit in a less literal sense) was the fact that this Zora claimed to have known me even though I had lived more than 100 years ago. Crazier yet was that his claims actually felt plausible even though I knew very well that it shouldn't be possible. If what he says is true, shouldn't he be either extremely old or dead by now?

Rivan let out a "Hmm" and held his chin at my lack of recollection. "Well, it _has_ been a hundred years since then," he continued, sounding somewhat disheartened that I didn't remember. "And now I'm over 130 years old..."

Hearing this shocked me. I didn't realize Zoras lived that long! But it does explain everything. And now that I've heard this news, I felt as if I had known of it once before.

"I must say, you've aged well for a Hylian," Rivan continued. "Unbelievably well! Now that I think about it_shouldn't you be dead? Sorry. That may be too personal a question."

Just then, the other Zora standing guard on the opposite side of the gate interrupted with an audible ' _AHEM'_ to remind him of the present; "Father... We are on guard duty right now."

"Oh, right... Sorry," said Rivan sheepishly before turning back towards me and finishing his introduction in brief. "The leader of the pack, Bazz... The heroine, Gaddison... And my father, Trello... They have all aged quite a bit, I'm afraid. But they are all doing well." Suddenly his countenance changed at the mentioning of his father. "Oh... But, Master Link, you probably shouldn't speak to the elderly. Oops! Sorry for keeping you too long. You have business in the throne room, right? Please proceed there at your earliest convenience."

My mouth was still too full to speak a reply, so I simply nodded instead. My gaze then turned to the other spear-bearing Zora standing guard, who was apparently Rivan's own daughter. I wasn't sure why, but looking upon her left me somewhat...moonstruck. For reasons unknown, I quickly found myself feeling strangely drawn to the beauty of Zora women, and there was something that struck me as being especially attractive about a lady Zora with a spear, although I couldn't begin to explain why.

I began to wonder if she was single.

She seemed to notice my stare. "Well, hello there. It looks like Father was really excited to speak with you..." she said to me before shaking her head at her father. "Oh, well. I believe this is our first meeting, yes? My name is Dunma."

Having her speak to me out of the blue like that while I was in the middle of admiring her beauty caught me off guard. I nearly choked on the baked fish I was eating, but quickly managed to swallow without anyone having to notice. I felt somewhat nervous and under pressure in the sudden moment, but managed to regain my composure and put on a cool and calm demeanor as I cleared my throat and said the most casual, gentlemanly thing I could think of to strike up conversation with her without showing too much interest upfront;

"You're female, right?" I asked smoothly as I took another casual bite from my fish skewer.

She didn't seem too amused at my remark. "...My, how observant you are," she said in a peeved tone. "Is there a problem?"

 _Huh... Maybe that was a little TOO casual a question?_

I decided to try asking something a little more straightforward and less obvious this time; something that I was actually already wondering myself; "How old are you?" I said with a mouthful.

"That is NOT an appropriate question to ask a lady you just met!" she snapped loudly, making me jolt back and almost drop my precious fish skewer in bewilderment. She then let out an annoyed sigh. "Let's just say I'm less than 100 years old. Can't you tell? I'm so much less formal than the elders...aren't I?"

I didn't really understand her problem. Why are women always so self-conscious about their age, anyhow? I'm over a hundred years old and don't care a lick about it!

"At any rate, right now Zora's Domain is looking for a Hylian Warrior," explained Dunma, changing the subject. "For more detailed information, please go speak with King Dorephan in the back."

"Oh! Right!" I said as I swallowed, having almost forgotten what I was here for in the first place. "I guess I should get going now," I finished as I took another hearty bite from my skewer.

Rivan spoke up; "By the way..." he said with a sound of concern in his voice. "Master Link, are you going to fight Calamity Ganon again?"

I gave him a puzzled look. " _'Again'?_ " I asked with a mouthful.

Now he was the one giving _me_ the puzzled look. "I mean... Master Link... You and Lady Mipha fought Calamity Ganon 100 years ago. Don't you recall?" I wanted to say something, but my mouth was still too full to speak in complete sentences. Seeing the look of incomprehension on my face, Rivan seemed to figure out my situation for himself. "Master Link... You really don't remember anything, do you?" he said to me with realization. I shook my head in confirmation. He smiled in understanding. "OK! In that case, ask me anything you want to!"

I wanted to ask who this _'Lady Mipha'_ he just mentioned was but my mouth was still too full yet. "Mipha?" was all I could get out clearly.

"Lady Mipha is the princess of the Zora and Prince Sidon's elder sister," explained Rivan. "She is also the Zora Champion. That means she was able to command the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. But unfortunately...Lady Mipha was... Well, 100 years ago...Calamity Ganon..." His tone grew somber with each word. He seemed unsure how to explain. "I should not be the one telling you this. Sorry. Please ask King Dorephan if you wish to know more. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

I still had plenty of other questions weighing on my mind, but I realized that I had probably kept the Zora royal family waiting much too long already. I decided to get back to the initial question I had meant to ask him from the start; "Throne room?" I said with my mouth still packed.

"The throne room is where King Dorephan and Prince Sidon can often be found," said Rivan. "You can use either staircase to go up. When you get to the second floor, the throne room is up and to the back."

I swallowed at last. "Alright. Thanks. I should probably head over there now. Maybe we can talk more later and catch up?"

"Roger that!" said Rivan happily.

I looked over at Dunma. "And...uh...I guess I'll see you around, too, then?" I said somewhat sheepishly.

She only gave me an unamused look in response. _I guess my first impression didn't go so well with her..._

I still couldn't figure out what it was about Zora women that I suddenly came to find so attractive. After all, I had already encountered several human women since my awakening -a number of them being quite lovely- but I never really paid them much mind. I had more important things to concern myself with. And yet, the instant I meet a _Zora_ woman around my age (well...in the same stage of physical maturity as me, anyhow...), I was immediately attracted to her and making a fool of myself like some walking bag of hormones! What's up with _THAT?!_

 _Boy, am I weird..._

As I proceeded through the domain, I saw it; towering before me in the pouring rain was the majestic statue of a beautiful Zora girl adorned in regal ornamentation and wielding a magnificent trident. I gazed up at the treasured statue...

And then looked right on by it without giving it much thought at all. I had no idea yet just what kind of great sentimental value that prized statue held to the Zora people.

Nor what equally great sentimental value it was soon going to hold for me as well...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...And my apologies for how long it took to get this second chapter out. My intention has been to match the dialogue from the actual game as closely as possible while adding new script here and there. But to do this, I've had to play this part of _Breath of the Wild_ again and write down word for word _every_ line used by every NPC related to this event, which is a pretty tedious and time-consuming process...and most of the dialogue I had to record isn't even used in the end since there's no way I could have possibly fit _all of it_ into this story. And I must say; trying to write a scene using pre-written script is proving to be much more difficult than I would have thought! Now that I'm trying to work with it, I've come to realize that BotW's dialogue actually isn't very well-written...at all. (The conversation with Dunma was especially awkward to write out; I spent days of writer's block on just that part alone!)**

 **Anyhow, I know this is probably the _least_ interesting chapter in this story, since it doesn't have much original content to offer, but we will begin to sway from the canon soon enough. And I know it probably wasn't necessary to include the explanation of the shrines and everything, but I couldn't resist; I just had to poke fun at the illogical concept behind them (which I shall continue to do further into the story as well). Haha**

 **BTW, does anyone know what that three-letter word is supposed to be between "of" and "in" in that damaged monument Link finds? Having all three of its letters missing, that's the one word I haven't been able to decipher...**


	3. The Zora Armor

_History of the Zora, Part Two: A Reservoir of Hope_

 _"Once every 10 years, the Lanayru region experiences unusually heavy rainfall. The Zora River flooded every time. The tides damaged not only our domain but our people, washing away poor souls and causing great suffering and disarray. The Zora king of that time, after seeking aid from the king of Hyrule, rode out to see what could be done. By joining the architectural genius of the Zora and Hyrule's technological prowess, East Reservoir Lake was swiftly built. Thanks to this fruitful partnership, Hyrule was no longer plagued by these devastating floods. In gratitude, the Zora king promised the king of Hyrule to manage the reservoir level to protect all of Hyrule from floods. Each Zora king since has kept that oath, spanning 10,000 years, That is why the reservoir signifies our bond with Hyrule." ~King Dorephan_

* * *

 **Chapter 3  
** _The Zora Armor_

I can barely believe the unspeakable horror playing out right before my very eyes...

The horror caused by my own failure!

 _How could I have been so careless?! How could I allow such a tragic disaster to unfold on my watch?!_

Smoke wafts through the air. Flames lick away at charred flesh. I can only blame and berate myself for allowing this heart-breaking tragedy to ensue as a result of my own recklessness. With tears of utmost devastation rolling down my cheeks, I cry out in agony at the top of my lungs;

 _"_ MY DINNER IS _RUINED_..!"

And ruined it is. I was so absorbed in my memories as I stared upon the image on my Sheikah Slate that I completely forgot to pay any attention to the fish I was cooking over the fire. It wasn't until the smell of smoke filling the room caught my notice that I even realized my food was burning after being left unattended for so long. _Thank Farore for noses or I might have never noticed until the whole house was on fire!_

Dumping a pot of water on it to extinguish the flames, I mourn the tragic loss before me. No amount of seasoning could possibly revive the delicious flavor of properly-cooked fish that has now been forever lost to this distasteful heap of ash and char I am left with. _Oh, well. I've eaten worse..._

Scraping what's left of my dinner onto a plate, I sit down and sigh to myself. After so many days of wandering through the wilderness and only eating whatever edible thing I can get hold of out there, I was really looking forward to finally treating myself to a good-quality meal for a change, but all hopes for that have now been crushed. I am doomed to contend myself with just this unappetizing mess of charred fish that is far more char than fish at all.

 _This isn't a meal, it's a burnt-offering!_

Still, I suppose I ought to get myself used to eating burnt food, considering the fact that I will be heading northward tomorrow, beginning my journey to the volcanic region of Eldin in search of the Goron tribe for information on Divine Beast Vah Rudania. I don't really remember yet what it is they eat there exactly, but I seem to recall that it was something humans don't find quite as appetizing as Gorons do. I haven't recovered enough of my memories to be sure of anything yet, but with those guys being volcano-dwellers, I can only assume it must have been that they prefer their food extremely overcooked...or something like that.

Ah, well. I've never been too picky of an eater anyway. Whatever it is they serve there at Goron City might not be the most appetizing thing to eat, but at least it's still fit for consumption, right? As long as I'm guaranteed food, I'm sure I'll be fine with whatever they have to eat there. _What's the worst it could be?_

Waiting for my overcooked fish to cool enough to eat (or rather; try to choke down), I look back at the Sheikah Slate's screen once again. The image depicting the beautiful stature of the young Zora woman continues to stir me with the sting of emotion. This is not the first time I lost myself in thought staring upon this treasured photo.

Nor is it the first time I carelessly ruined a perfectly good fish I intended to eat...

* * *

Back when I first came across the very statue whose image has now been recorded in the Sheikah Slate's files, as I still had that soggy but delicious fish-skewer in hand that I continued to munch on heartily while making my way through Zora's Domain, I was about to head over to the throne room as instructed when the sensor on the Sheikah Slate detected a shrine near the back of the domain. I found it pretty quickly behind the statue in the center of the courtyard and activated its travel gate so I could instantaneously come back to it later after my meeting with the royal Zora family was through.

Turning around to head to the said meeting in the throne room, I crossed paths with a red-scaled Zora woman who looked very much like the same Zora I met in Lanayru Wetlands. She was holding some sort of book in her arm and staring up at the statue when I approached, giving the sculpture a close inspection as the rainfall continued to pound harshly against it. "The damage is minimal..." I heard her mutter to herself with relief.

I still couldn't tell yet whether she was the same Zora I had met before on the road or not but I decided to greet her. As she turned to face me in response to my greeting, I quickly realized that she wasn't, though she was the same color.

"Hello..." she said to me in reply, bearing no sense of familiarity towards me in her eyes but still looked upon me with wonder. "Are you...a Hylian?"

"That's right," I answered her. I did feel a little foolish for the initial mix-up but saw no reason to let it be a problem. She still seemed perfectly approachable after all, so I decided I may as well introduce myself as long as we were already speaking; "I'm not sure if we've met, but my name is _Link._ And you are..?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" she said in belittlement towards herself about her previous remark before properly introducing herself; "I am Laflat. I am the chief secretary for the royal family."

 _Laflat, huh?_ She was definitely not the same Zora I encountered on the way here. Her personality is far more calm and formal than the one I had met in the wetlands. Not that this was any issue, of course. I didn't mind taking a moment to speak with her. She seemed like a very kind and pleasant person.

Maybe even...a little... _attractive?_

I didn't know exactly why yet, but there was something about red-scaled Zora women that seem to already stand out as especially lovely to me. And although this Laflat barely looked any different from that previous Zora girl I met in the wetlands, her formal mannerisms seemed to add to this and make her twice as attractive as her. It's kind of embarrassing to have to admit, but I found myself gazing (almost nostalgically) upon her beauty like an idiot as I continued to chew a mouthful from my fish-skewer.

My prolonged silent stare must have puzzled her. She gave me an awkward look before redirecting the moment to the statue beside her; "…Are you curious about this statue of Lady Mipha?"

I snapped out of my half-mesmerized state and nearly choked on my fish, feeling quite embarrassed to realize that I had been staring up at her like that.

 _Like; whoops..._

I didn't want to look any more stupid than I already did, so I just put on a straight face and tried not to let my spontaneous attraction to her show. "Yes, I'm curious," I answered her casually with forced indifference and a mouthful.

"If you do not mind...please allow me to explain," she said as she turned towards the statue and began her story; "This is a statue of the former Zora Champion. Her name was Lady Mipha. She was as kind as she was beautiful... They say her ability to heal wounded soldiers was beyond compare..."

Regrettably, my thoughts weren't really on the statue or the story at the moment (even though they really _should_ have been), as I was too distracted thinking about what a weirdo I am to pay attention. It was really starting to disturb me that I couldn't seem to quit gawking like some hormone-fueled maniac at the sight of every pretty Zora girl I was meeting today. _First Dunma and now this Laflat? What is wrong with me?!_ I couldn't understand why I was feeling so bizarrely attracted to Zora women, but it was enough that I was growing rather uncomfortable with myself...

After all; though I didn't know just how old she actually is, Laflat still seemed to be at a Zora's age equivalent to that of a human in their late twenties or early thirties, which is still quite a bit older than me (not counting the 100 years of stasis I spent asleep in the Shrine of Resurrection, that is), so it doesn't even make sense that I'd feel so drawn to her even if she wasn't a Zora! And as for that Dunma I met a moment ago; even if she _is_ closer to my age (or rather; current stage of chronological maturity...or whatever you want to call it), I still had no sensible reason to have felt attracted to her either. I mean; the whole thing that seemed to be what even stood out to me about her was seeing the way she held that spear in her hands... Now why in the world should my head be turned to a girl I've never met just because she has a spear?! _Talk about shallow!_

...Not to mention it's totally messed up to be thinking that way about a childhood friend's daughter! _Yeesh!_ What am I; some kind of sicko?!

Still, I had to wonder if it was really even _them_ I was feeling so drawn to... I couldn't really explain it if I tried, but looking upon Laflat and her red scales just seemed to almost remind me of someone... Someone other than just that first Zora woman whom I had nearly mistaken her for. And there was also something about her formal yet slightly shy mannerisms that only emphasized this inexplicable feeling of familiarity I got from her in a way that the other Zora's personality didn't.

Not only that, but as I thought more about it, it did seem as if there was something very much familiar about Dunma's stance with her spear that had been what drew my attention to her earlier. Almost as if I used to see someone remarkable take that very same stance in a time once before...

The more I studied over it in my mind, it was actually beginning to feel like this inexplicable sense of attraction I was spontaneously feeling towards these Zora women wasn't really romantic after all... It was almost leaning more towards... _nostalgic?_

I couldn't begin to piece anything together yet, and I couldn't hope to start making sense of anything, but I was beginning to wonder more and more about my forgotten past that apparently involved spending a lot of time here in Zora's Domain. Something about meeting these Zora women was invoking my subconscious in some way, reminding me of something precious that I had forgotten, but I had no idea what it could be.

(Though if I had actually been _paying attention_ to what was just being said to me, then perhaps I actually could have figured it out sooner than I did!)

"...Those soldiers she healed...they are old and decrepit now," Laflat continued, making me realize how little attention I had been paying; "But they remember. For this reason, the elders of the domain all love Lady Mipha dearly. If you would like to know more, I suggest you try talking to one of them."

"Huh..? Oh! Uh... Thanks for the info!" I said to her awkwardly, hoping to heaven that it wasn't too obvious how I barely heard a word she just said. "So, um... That reminds me; I was told to meet with your king when I arrived. I should probably do that now... The throne room is up at the top of the stairs, right?"

She gave me a puzzled look. "Yes, that is correct... But...do you mean to say that you were summoned to have an audience with King Dorephan...and you haven't even headed to the throne room yet?" she said to me with a raised brow.

I grinned sheepishly. "Er_ Heh heh... Heading there right now..!" I said before quickly turning away and taking off to my meeting that I was _supposed to_ follow Sidon straight to as Laflat watched me leave with a blank expression. _I think I just made a fool of myself yet again..._

* * *

Not wanting to keep the royal Zora family waiting any longer, I made haste up the two sets of stairs leading to the throne room. I wasn't too sure how in the world I had just managed to let myself get sidetracked _twice_ in a row like that, but I had wasted more than enough time already and wasn't about to let it happen again. I was heading straight to my meeting now and nothing else was going to be a distraction to me in the least!

...Or so I thought. But the sound of someone screaming in agony caught my attention.

 _"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"_

I jolted in alarm and turned to see an elderly Zora, colored black with a white underside and wearing a pink collar-wrap that seemed to serve as a sign of status, crying out in pain as he touched the head of a cackling shock arrow. Stopping in my tracks, I looked on in panic, worrying for this poor old Zora's safety.

 _Oh, my gosh! Did he accidentally skewer himself and get electrocuted?! Is he alright?!_

I was about to rush to his side and see if he was okay, but he seemed to shake off the shock...and then did something that surprised me all over...

He _deliberately_ touched the shock arrow once again.

 _"KEEEEYAAAAAHHH!"_ he screamed aloud once more, gripping the shock arrow for several seconds until he couldn't hold it any longer and let go again. He stood there panting and seemed to speak half-deliriously to himself; " _*pant...pant*_ Lady Mipha! Watch _THIS!_ I, Seggin, the aptly named Demon Sergeant, shall strike down the Divine Beast Vah Ruta!"

 _So he's electrocuting himself...on PURPOSE? Okay, then..._

"...Whatcha doin'?" I asked him awkwardly as he slowly tried to reach for the arrow once more...but seemed to shaky yet for his hand to find it.

He groggily turned around to see who was talking to him. After a brief pause to try and make sense of his surroundings, he at last responded; "You... You're _Link!"_ he said to me with much shock in his eyes (albeit, a far less literal form of shock than that he had just previously experienced). The shock quickly turned to sheer hatred. "Finally, I can avenge Lady Mipha! It has been 100 years since you last showed your face here! Now I, Seggin, will cut you down myself!"

 _Huh? Did this guy just fry his own brain or something..?_

"What do you mean?" I asked him, taking a bite from the last fish left on my skewer.

"Playing dumb, eh?! Nice try, but you cannot fool me, _Champion_ Link!" he answered scornfully, followed by a mixed tone of anger and sadness; "You were unable to protect Lady Mipha from Calamity Ganon! It has been 100 years since we lost her... Poor Lady Mipha... How Heartbreaking..."

 _Oh, right. Rivan did say something about the elders begrudging me over this..._

Regrettably, I still didn't have any memory yet of any _'Mipha'_ due to my amnesia -nor of anyone at all, for that matter- so all I knew so far was that she had perished in the Calamity 100 years ago. And Laflat did just inform me that the old soldiers this Mipha once healed all hold her dear. It seemed this old guy was most likely one of those very soldiers and is still greatly devastated by her death. _Poor guy..._ As rude as he may be (and possibly senseless), I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"I won't fail her again," I said to him with a mouthful. I didn't really know what else I possibly _could_ say, since I still had no memory of the event to remark on, my mouth was too full yet for a more thorough reply, and I was already running late for my meeting with the royal Zora family, so I really didn't have time to talk and/or explain my amnesia. (Plus, I wasn't so sure if talking to this guy could even do any good anyhow, since that electrocution from repeatedly pricking himself on that shock arrow may have easily fried his senses to a crisp).

He only scoffed at my remark, fury burning all the more intensely in his eyes, before hollering at me in offense; " _Hmph!_ There is no way we would ask for _your_ help now, after all this time and after all that has happened! So says I, Seggin, the Demon Sergeant! Even if this body of mine is destroyed... I will drown Ruta in shock arrows myself! And in doing so, Lady Mipha's regrets shall be alleviated. If you understand anything of courage, then get out of my way at once!"

I jolted back in startle, protectively holding my precious fish-skewer away from him in case he should try to knock it out of my hands in his rage. _He does seem hateful enough that he just might actually do something so unthinkably inhumane like that..._ I meant to just walk away and leave this old grouch to himself...but then I realized my grave error...

When I had pulled my fish-skewer away from him, the last fish on it had slid off and went flying over the edge of the guardrail! I watched with horror as my delicious fish flew from the skewer and plummeted into the waters far below. Running towards the rail after it, I cried out in panic and sorrow as it hit the water with a splash;

" _NOOOOOOOO..!_ MY FISHY! MY BEAUTIFUL FISHYYYYYY..!"

And if things weren't already tragic enough; as I opened my mouth to say this, the last piece of my fish that I had been chewing fell out after it and into the water as well! _Oh, the horror! The unspeakable woe of it all! The most woeful of all woes!_

I stared down agape into the water as the last bit of my precious fish fell out of sight. Tears were already forming in my eyes and falling down after my lost meal that was never to return... I couldn't remember a time when I ever felt more devastated...although I probably could if I still had my memories of the Calamity, but the fact is; I didn't yet. So this was legitimately my most devastating moment so far since my awakening.

Behind me, I could hear Seggin laughing aloud at my misfortune.

Yes... He actually had the nerve to _LAUGH_ at the great tragedy taking place right before him. _Talk about heartless!_

"Ha ha ha! Serves you right, you unfeeling beast!" he taunted cruelly. "I hope Hylia continues to punish you every chance she gets for the rest of your miserable life for what you've done!"

I couldn't believe his cruelty. The guy sees me drop my last fish over the rail -which _HE_ made me do, mind you- and then he has the nerve to _laugh_ about it and call _ME_ the _'unfeeling beast'.._?! Where's even the logic in THAT?! I could feel my rage burning up within me. I wasn't going to stand for such inconsideration.

As Seggin turned his back to me to continue poking at that shock arrow of his, I rushed in and kicked him in the butt, shoving him forward so that he landed flat on top of it, exposing himself to a larger surge of electricity at once. _"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"_ he screamed aloud until he finally managed to throw himself onto the ground away from the cackling arrow. He laid there panting deliriously as he tried to recover from the literal shock. "N-no t-toOThpastE foR DInneR fOr mE tOnIght, deAr! Th-the dOCtoR SAys I nEed to gO oN a LOw-caRb diET..!"

 _That doesn't even make any sense... Since when do they put carbs in toothpaste?_

 __Actually, now that I think about it; who even eats toothpaste for dinner, anyhow? That also might be a little weird in itself as well..._

Paying no further mind to his nonsensical gibberish, I turned with sorrow to face the waters below where my fish fell. "Rest in peace, O delicious fishy of mine..." I said somberly as I saluted in respect. "As soggy and poorly cooked as you may have been, I still thoroughly cherished our every moment. I shall never forget your juicy aftertaste..."

* * *

Having paid my last respects to my lost fish (which unfortunately had to be cut short due to my meeting with the king), I gathered what was left of my own will to persevere and continued my way to the second set of stairs nearby, which was divided in the center to form two stairways that merge halfway up. I noticed a familiar-looking statue of the goddess Hylia stationed between them and took a mental note to stop by to pray later. My soul was in great need of healing and peace of mind after that tragic incident I had just experienced.

A Zora guard was stationed in front of the stairs. Like that Seggin before, he was colored black with a white underside, but _unlike_ Seggin, he was much younger, looking like he was probably about in his mid-or-late-forties. _Or at least the _Zora's_ equivalent of that age, which is also how Rivan had appeared to be, so I could only guess they were about the same age.

"Hello, and welcome!" he greeted as I came by. "Zora's Domain is currently searching for a Hylian like you." I was expecting him to ask me to state my business and/or direct me to head right up to the throne room where Prince Sidon and the king should still be waiting for me, but instead he seemed to suddenly drift off into thought, holding his chin in contemplation as he stared down at me. There was a silent pause.

 _Um. This is awkward... Should I say something?_

Just when I was thinking about breaking the silence to ask if I am clear to enter the throne room, I heard him mumble something quietly to himself, as if not realizing he was thinking aloud; "_No, but Hylians don't live more than 100 years... I'd better ask, just to be sure..." Clearing his throat, he then finally addressed me again; "I must ask something of you, traveler. If you know it, speak it now. What is the Big Bad Bazz Brigade password?"

"The _Big Bad Bazz Brigade's_ password..?" I questioned. Oddly enough, that sounded... _familiar._ "Let me think..."

Seeing my partial recognition, he proceeded to speak the first part, speaking words that made no sense; " _Fluffy white clouds! Clear blue..."_

And yet...they seemed to ring a bell in the back of my mind. I still had no recollection of ever hearing them before, yet I somehow knew what came next. As if out of sheer instinct, I spoke the next word that sounded like it should finish that very phrase, though the context seemed illogical;

" _Zora?"_

His face lit up as I said this. "Yes! There is no mistaking it!" he exclaimed in excitement; "You are, indeed, the real Master Link!"

 _So he knows me too, eh? I must have been even more acquainted with the Zora 100 years ago than I realized._

"Yes, it's true," I replied with a slight smile, though I still couldn't place him yet.

"I knew it! The only people who know that password are members of the Big Bad Bazz Brigade!" he declared proudly. He then looked at me in a somewhat dumbfounded way, confused as to how I could still be alive and young after all this time; "That said, you haven't changed at all... But what have you been doing for the last 100 years?"

"Umm..." I wasn't sure at all how to respond. It was a lot to explain and I was already late to be meeting with the king. _Can I really tell him?_

He seemed to catch on to my hesitance. "Special circumstances, I take it? Well, I suppose a lot has happened in the last 100 years."

 _I guess I can keep it brief..._

"I was sleeping," I answered at last, keeping the story as simple and ordinary as possible to save having to give a long explanation. For some odd reason, however, he didn't seem to take me very seriously when I said that...

"As though you could sleep for that long. _Hmph,"_ he said with a scoff, as if I were just messing with him. ( _Huh... That would have been a satisfying enough answer for ME to believe without any further questions... Talk about skeptical.)_ "Anyway... I am glad to see you here, Master Link," he continued; "Zora's Domain is in dire need of a brave Hylian like yourself. I would ask that you meet with King Dorephan upstairs. Right away, please."

"Got it," I replied. Though I still had one question relentlessly puzzling my mind that I just had to ask; "Hey, but can I ask you something real quick..?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well, if you don't mind my asking..." I said with a slightly nervous chuckle; "Who are you?"

There was yet another moment of awkward silence. ( _Sheesh! Is this going to become a regular thing here?)_

"Me? I am Bazz," he answered me. "A hundred years ago, you frequently trained me in the art of the blade. Remember?" _(Huh. That does sound somewhat familiar now that I hear it. And it also explains where the name 'Big Bad Bazz Brigade' comes from...)_ "Oh! And thanks to you, my father... the Demon Sergeant Seggin... is also in good health."

"Oh! The Demon Sergeant Seggin, you say..?" I said somewhat nervously, glancing back in the direction of the older Zora whom I just kicked into his own shock arrow. _I sure hope he didn't see that..._

"However, the Demon Sergeant..." Bazz continued, though quickly corrected himself on something; "Sorry, the _FORMER_ Demon Sergeant... Well, he is as he ever was. He is, even now, training to extremes by poking shock arrows to up his tolerance. He does so for Lady Mipha's sake."

"Yeah, so I see," I replied. "I happened to pass him just now on the way here..."

 _"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"_ we heard the older Zora criy out once more.

We both turned to look at the former Demon Sergeant across the room. Having barely recovered enough from his previous big shock, he was already back to poking at the shock arrow and frying himself silly once again. We could hear him crying out some more delirious gibberish to psych himself up, though what he was saying exactly was indecipherable from this range.

Bazz and I looked back to each other expressionlessly. "...Though he may be straining himself a little _too_ much, don't you think?" I said to him.

He nodded in agreement. "Electricity is banned for all Zora, and for good reason," he replied. "Although he is adamant, I am sure even _he_ has his limits."

 _"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"_

 _*Thud!*_

We turned to see the old Demon Sergeant laying passed out on the floor from the shock, twitching a little and muttering more senseless gibberish. "...Limits indeed," I agreed.

"I guess I should go see if he's alright..." Bazz said with a monotone sigh. "You head to the throne room now. King Dorephan will be waiting."

I nodded and proceed up the stairs as Bazz headed over to help his father back to his feet. I then ran into Sidon going up. "There you are!" he said to me. "I was just about to go looking for you!"

"Sorry. I got a little... _sidetracked,_ " I apologized.

"Let me guess..." said Sidon. "You had to take a rest stop and couldn't find a bathroom like Hylians are more accustomed to using? Sorry about that. I probably should have informed you sooner that we don't have one here in the domain. We Zora prefer to just let it out as we swim."

"Aw, it's fine. I actually just ran into some... Wait_ _WHAT?"_

"Anyway, my father is waiting. Please come right this way!" With that, he rushed on ahead up the stairs to the throne room. I followed behind, trying not to think about his previous words too much.

 _I will never drink directly from the river again..._

* * *

I entered the throne room after Sidon, who was already standing at his place beside his father's throne by the time I made my way up the rest of the stairs. Another Zora was also present; an elderly male who seemed to be a different breed of Zora than the others I've met thus far, as he bore traits like that of a stingray rather than a shark like the rest. He said nothing, but seemed to eye me with scorn as I entered, already bearing as much hatred in his eyes as Seggin did when he saw me. I could tell without a word that he didn't want me here at all. I deemed it best to avoid any kind of eye-contact whatsoever...

Walking past the elder, I approached the king's throne respectfully, which was half-submerged in a pool of water for him to soak in while seated. I was kind of shocked though by the king's size; he was _HUGE._ Even while sitting down, he was still more than twice the height of even Sidon and likely weighed _at least_ a ton! I wasn't so sure he was even a Zora at all due to being so much more massive than all the rest. But then again, after looking up at him, it did begin to feel somewhat familiar, and the idea of Zora leaders growing to unnaturally large sizes no longer seemed so unheard of in my mind...though I still have yet to recall hearing about it exactly.

 _Imagine what an enormous amount of food he must have to eat each day to sustain himself... Lucky guy!_

The old king seemed to bear a countenance both serious and cheerful at the same time. He greeted me with a formal but warm welcome; "Ah. You must be the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct? You did well to come all the way here! I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora." Before I had the chance to say anything in reply, he then took notice of something hanging from my belt. "Hm. That object on your waist..."

I froze in silent dread as he said this, fearing he had spotted the pouch containing my secret stash of candy and was interested in its contents! _He better not ask me to share... A guy this big certainly isn't going to leave much left for me!_

"...Is that not a Sheikah Slate?!" he concluded with eyes wide.

 _Oh, so he wasn't talking about my candy? Whew! What a relief!_

Still, it surprised me that someone was able to recognize the Sheikah Slate right off the bat like that. "Uh, yeah?" I said in confusion. "So you're familiar with this technology?"

Hearing my voice seemed to surprise him even more. He leaned in closer and stared in shock. " _HMMM?!_ Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you are..." he continued; "You are the Hylian Champion, Link! Do not tell me you have forgotten me..."

Sidon's jaw dropped as his father said this. "The Hylian Champion? You can't mean THE Link? THAT Champion?!" he said in awe before turning to me; "So _that's_ where I have heard your name before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!"

King Dorephan continued with a cheerful laugh; "I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, Link, has appeared before us... We have met numerous times, I'll have you know. Ah... So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend. I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive. Extraordinary!"

Things were getting a little awkward. I was standing in the presence of these people who looked to me as an old friend and living legend...while I still held no recollection of anyone or anything! I had no idea how to even respond, so I decided to just come right out with it before anyone even asks; "I lost my memory."

King Dorephan leaned in closer at these words. "Come again? You say you have lost your memory?" he said in shock. "But surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?"

 _Mipha..._ I had been hearing that name a lot since arriving, though I still had no recollection of it. "Mipha who?" I asked him. It was about time I finally learned.

The Zora king sunk back in his seat at my response. "I cannot believe it... Have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well?" he said to me in a tone of genuine grief. "You and Mipha were so close... Yet you do not remember her?"

The way he said this made me feel truly guilty about not remembering. Until that very moment, the name _'Mipha'_ was merely that of a fallen soldier from a time long past; a name from a sad story that everyone around me took to heart and expected me to know but I didn't; a name that I _ought_ to know but had no recollection of. But after seeing King Dorephan's reaction, I realized that this Mipha was more than just an ally from my forgotten past fighting for a mutual cause; she was a personal friend. I could only shrug in guilt for not remembering her...

King Dorephan let out a sigh and motioned behind me. "Young hero... Please look upon the beauty of Zora's Domain," he said to me, turning my attention towards the central plaza of the domain. "Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?"

"Sorry..." I said. "My memory has been completely wiped out... I didn't even remember my own name when I was first addressed by it."

The king sighed again. "Well, perhaps your memory will return in time. I dearly hope so."

Sidon then spoke up; "Father... I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused."

"Oh? Yes, of course," said King Dorephan, regaining his formal composure. A not-so-formal smirk then appeared on his lips. "But first, it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a Champion here without realizing it! That is quite a feat, my boy! Wah ha ha! That is a good one!"

The king broke out into a hearty laugh, lightening the mood a bit. Sidon shrugged sheepishly, not quite sure what to make of the moment. The other Zora present didn't seem so amused by anything. He just continued to stand there in silence, as if waiting impatiently for this whole meeting to be over with. I wondered what was on his mind, as he hadn't yet acknowledged anything being said in the entire conversation, though he did not at all remind me of the naturally quiet sort.

Taking a breath, King Dorephan returned to a more formal composure and quickly got back to business; "Link, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea," he said to me in a serious tone. "Now then. Hero...I must inform you that Zora's Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?"

Hearing this, the elderly Zora nearby at last spoke up; "What?! King Dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so!" he protested vehemently. "To ask a Hylian for help... Why, the very thought of it curls my fins!"

King Dorephan looked down on him disapprovingly. "Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?"

Sidon spoke likewise; "Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest!" he scolded. "Link is here because I invited him! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? He is the key to saving Zora's Domain. I have no doubt in my mind."

"Indeed! Link is a Champion, through and through," King Dorephan concurred. "As things now stand, Zora's Domain... Nay! Perhaps _all_ of Hyrule...is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together."

Hearing this praise said about me only seemed to irk this Muzu all the more. "Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians!" he continued to protest. "A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it!" His tone of sheer hatred seemed to slowly fade into sorrow as he continued. He soon hung his head and turned away...almost as if trying to withhold tears from showing. "It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us..."

The room fell silent. King Dorephan looked upon the stubborn Muzu, not with contempt, but with compassion. I realized quickly that he, too, was one whom held this Mipha very dear. His behavior may have been unwarranted, but like King Dorephan, I found myself feeling too sorry for him to be angry.

Deeming it best to leave Muzu alone, the Zora king turned back to me again, resuming the business I was summoned for and explaining the ongoing crisis; "Link... Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora's Domain... but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger."

* _WRRRRROOOOOOOOMM!*_

A loud noise suddenly trumpeted out, echoing throughout the domain and nearly shaking the ground. I jolted in alarm at the earth-shaking trumpet.

 _What in the world is THAT?!_

King Dorephan looked off towards the east at the sound. "Hmm... The Divine Beast is crying out once again..." he muttered in concern, making me realize the source of the noise;

 _Vah Ruta..._

My eyes turned towards the direction of the loud cry. From behind the wall of the eastern reservoir in the distance, I could faintly make out an enormous column of water gushing skyward like an unnaturally large fountain, summoning the relentless downpour plaguing the area with a trumpeting cry. The cry itself sounded almost like both an enraged threat and an agonized plea at the same time. I wasn't sure if I felt intimidated of the Divine Beast or sorry for it...

"The Divine Beast Vah Ruta..." King Dorephan proceeded to explain; "Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders...are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them."

"Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow," Sidon added, continuing his father's explanation. "Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force."

Hearing this, I was already beginning to catch on to why they needed a Hylian to aid them in this quest. "Oh, so _that's_ why you_" I began to say...before Sidon cut me off;

"That is why I went in search for a Hylian who could help us!" he said, striking his signature pose of enthusiasm once again. _(This guy doesn't quite let you get a word in edgewise, does he?)_ "Link, I am certain you have already figured this out, but... We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course. Please, hero... I beg of you. Help me stop Ruta's rampage of destruction!"

"I, um..." I awkwardly replied, not quite sure if I was really going to be allowed the chance to say anything. "Well, that's actually the very reason I've been entrusted with the Sheikah Slate and am out traveling in the first place. Princess Zelda says I need to use it to enter each of the beasts and regain control."

King Dorephan nearly sprang from his seat as I said this. "Whaaat?! Princess Zelda herself instructed you to board the Divine Beast and appease it from within?" he said, leaning in closer with both shock and hope in his voice. "So then...Princess Zelda is still alive?"

"Yes, in Hyrule Caste," I answered, surprising everyone even further.

"I do not believe it..." said the king in awe, a hopeful smile forming on his face. "She was alive this whole time, just as you were! The events of 100 years ago cannot be altered, it is true. But if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts...they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!"

"That's the plan!" I smiled.

"I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Link..." said Sidon before striking his signature fist-pump pose again. _(Like, seriously; doesn't he ever exhaust himself from always being so overly-enthusiastic about every little thing?)_ "Wondrous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once it has stopped rampaging, you can easily climb inside it. Come, Link! Let us appease Ruta together!"

 _Still, I have to admit; that enthusiasm is rather contagious._ "I'm in. Let's do this!" I said with an enthusiastic fist-pump of my own in imitation of Sidon's. _Hey! This is actually kinda fun to do!_

"Thank you, Link," said King Dorephan. "Truly. We are in your debt. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny. Now then, allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith." He then turned towards Muzu, who was still begrudging the whole event in silence. "Muzu... Would you kindly retrieve that chest in the back for me, please?"

The elderly Zora turned in a huff but obediently did as he was ordered. He returned shortly with a chest in tow, grumbling complaints under his breath and questioning the king's intentions.

"Now, Link..." said King Dorephan. "I would like you to accept this gift of great sentimental value which I am certain will also come in handy for this task that we have called you to. Go on. Open it. Take it respectfully."

I did as told and opened the chest. Curiosity filled me as I lifted the lid to behold the contents. _What could this possibly be?_ I had the feeling it likely wasn't edible, unfortunately, but what he said convinced me it was something special nonetheless. And something special it was indeed; within the chest was a quality suit of handcrafted Zora armor, made with rustproof metals and woven scales of various creatures to form a sort of defensive mail that is both lightweight and waterproof. One pure white scale decorated the breastplate like a sparkling jewel. Muzu seemed to jump nearly out of his skin when he realized that _this_ was what King Dorephan had him retrieve and was intending to give it to me.

"So long as you wear this, you can ascend waterfalls just like a Zora," the king said to me. "Please, take good care of it."

"KING DOREPHAN!" Muzu hollered in a great outburst of fury, interrupting the moment before I could even tell the king _thank you_. "Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry! Princess Mipha made _that_ one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!" the elderly Zora continued to rant and gave me a hateful look. "He may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should _HE_ receive such an honor?"

My heart sank to hear this. _So this armor was made by Lady Mipha for the man she loved and intended to marry?_ I felt inclined to agree with Muzu there. Even in the current circumstances, it really didn't feel right for me to be given something of _THAT_ great sentimental value that was apparently intended specifically for someone else... For someone extra special...

"This is just too much, my liege! I do not understand it one bit!" Muzu continued to rant as he stormed away in an enraged huff, not willing to hear another word spoken to him.

"Hmph. That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set," said King Dorephan as we watched the old grouch march off. The old king looked to me and sighed. "You must understand... He was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him... just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness."

"It's alright..." I reassured, not holding Muzu's bitterness against him...and even partially wondering if he may have been right to object the way he did.

"Hmm, but what shall we do now?" said the king as he realized something important. "I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we will need to appease Vah Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff..."

Sidon, however, remained as upbeat as always. "Link! Do not let his words concern you. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!" he said before taking off after the elder.

"Sidon... I suppose that means you are going to tell him..." said King Dorephan under his breath as he watched them both depart. He seemed to carry much regret about something.

"Tell him what?" I asked, wondering what seemed to be weighing so hard on the king's mind.

He merely smiled down at me with a fatherly tenderness in his eyes, almost as if looking upon a child of his own. "Link... Muzu is most likely at the square down below," he said to me, not quite ready to answer my question just yet. "Would you mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him."

I nodded and followed the two other Zora back down the stairs without another word, carrying the Zora armor tucked carefully under my arm as I went. I still didn't feel at all comfortable to be in possession of it and would rather no one see it in my care. If this really was something that Mipha painstakingly made with her own hands for the man she loved, then I couldn't blame Muzu at all for being upset that King Dorephan would just give it away to an outsider like me...

Looking at the delicate craftsmanship, I could tell a lot of love and careful effort was put into making this armor to be just perfect. I wondered who is was that she was so in love with that she made it for, and why her father hadn't just given _him_ this treasure of hers like she intended it to go to. _Did her beloved perish in the Calamity as well? Did King Dorephan not approve of him as his daughter's suitor and not want him to have this? Did he go on to marry another and they deemed it best for him to let go of anything to do with his former love in loyalty and respect for his living wife? What if he's still alive today and right here in Zora's Domain; what will he think if he sees ME with the armor that his beloved Mipha had made for her future-husband?!_

I had no idea whom Mipha's beloved was, why he wasn't in possession himself of this armor that was so lovingly made just for him, and/or if he was even still living or not, but it certainly didn't feel right to have just spontaneously inherited what was meant for him like this... Even if I really _was_ a friend of Mipha's at some point, keeping for myself the gift she intended for her future-husband just seemed too irreverent and almost disrespectful. I knew my quest was going to require the Zora armor's ability to enable a Hylian like me to ascend waterfalls like a Zora but I wouldn't dare to keep it any longer than necessary. I quickly decided in my head that I would have to be sure to return this beautiful treasure to the royal Zora family as soon as I was done using it.

The truth I was about to learn, however, was something far greater than I would have ever guessed...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! And thanks for all the follows and favs this story has been steadily gaining even throughout the ridiculously long hiatus it's been on! Like, seriously; it only had some five or six followers shortly after the second chapter came out in September...but during this six-month break, that number has skyrocketed to over _twenty_ without any updates! _(...How did that happen, anyhow? LOL)_**

 **Anyway, I dearly apologize for how long it took me to get this third chapter up. Truth is; I was actually kind of afraid to continue this story until I've played the Champions' Ballad DLC, since I didn't know if it would create any contradictions to what I have planned, and so I decided to wait before writing anymore...and it's a good thing I did, too! I would have indeed made a number of contradictions if I continued this story as I had originally planned! But now that I know the Champions' Ballad's extended story, I can safely continue writing this without further fear of contradiction, so I will get back to updating it once again.**

 **Anyhow, this chapter ended up _wayyy_ more extensive than I would have imagined _(and at around 9,000 words, that's a new record for me!),_ so I had to end it here and save the part where Link remembers Mipha for the next one, but that will be where we'll start seeing some original content as he reflects on not only the memory cutscene shown in-game, but also several new memories of his childhood with her that I made up for this story. Up till now, I have been trying to follow the game's actual scripting as best as I can while also adding a few extra responses where I can _(I'm having way too much fun implementing Link's food obsessions into this. LOL),_ but now that we have most of it out of the way, it'll mainly be original dialogue pretty soon here, so stay tuned!**


	4. Memories Awakened (part 1)

_History of the Zora, Part Three: Miracle of the White Scale_

" _Our scholars say that in the distant past, Zora's Domain had a king with no special talent for the art of war. What he lacked in skill with a blade, he made up for in love for his people, and especially love for his queen. One day, news reached the king of a horde of monsters gathering in the Zodobon Highlands. The king steeled himself for war to protect his people, but the queen knew how ill suited for the task he was. Worried for his life, she wove one of her own scales into his armor, hoping that her love would protect him in battle. It seemed for a time that the tide of battle favored the Zora and that all would make it safely home. But the cunning Lizalfos general saw an opening and seized it, driving the king's forces into a corner. Just when the general's sword was ready to crash down upon the king, a miracle took place. An errant sunbeam reflected from the scale on his armor blinded the Lizalfos, stopping the deathblow from falling. This was the chance the king needed to rally his forces and turn the tide, taking down the general and securing victory. This came to be known as the Miracle of the White Scale, a scale that only female Zora posses. It was this miracle that began the tradition of Zora princesses crafting armor for their future husbands." ~King Dorephan_

* * *

 **Chapter 4  
** _Memories Awakened (part 1)_

The sun sets slowly over the horizon, its warm rays are fading fast, yet there's no sign of the scorching heat relenting anytime soon. That's because this heat isn't coming from the sun.

It's coming from...

 _THE BURNING LAVA SETTING THE VERY AIR ITSELF ON FIRE!_

That's right; my quest to free the three remaining Divine Beasts has led me to the scorching trails of Death Mountain—an active volcano. In my journey to Goron City to gather information on the corrupted Divine Beast Vah Rudania, I've been treading the rocky paths of Eldin all day while withstanding the blazing air hot enough to burn a human's skin right off just by being here. The only way a Hylian can even survive out in these extreme conditions is either by wearing fireproof armor or by using special elixirs that protect you from burning. Because I currently lack the said armor (which can only be bought _at_ Goron City—the very location I require fireproof armor in order to reach in the first place!) I must rely on the latter option.

Unfortunately, I didn't figure this out until _after_ I had began my trip up the flaming mountain trails. And let's just say I _reeeeeeally_ would have appreciated a fair warning so I'd have been better prepared.

Well, okay, someone working at a stable I had stopped at along the way _did_ warn me about this beforehand and tried to sell me some of the aforementioned fireproof elixirs, but I just took her to be some kind of pushy saleswoman trying to con me into buying yet another unnecessary product I don't need, and so I paid her no mind and went on my way unprepared as I was. I know that probably doesn't sound like a smart move on my part, but in my own defense; when you've already been conned into buying some ordinary bananas for a crazy price as many times as I have—only for the pushy jerk selling them to turn out to be a Yiga assassin trying to kill you—you generally learn not to trust anyone trying too hard to sell you something.

However, I quickly realized after my clothes had caught fire and burned to a crisp as soon as I got near the volcanic mountain that she may have been telling the truth after all. Being forced to run back down in my underwear while crying my flaming head off like an idiot wasn't exactly one of my most rewarding moments in this quest as the hero—nor one of the most dignified. That woman really wasn't kidding when she insisted I'd regret trying to reach Death Mountain without her elixirs!

After making my way back to the stable (and getting various strange looks from random weirdos who, for some odd reason, acted like they've never seen a burnt guy running through the wilderness in his underwear before), I made sure to buy a full pack of those fireproof elixirs from the very woman whose initial warning I had failed to heed (earning myself a condescending laugh from her in the process) before redressing myself and heading back up the fiery mountain. My original plan was to reach Goron City before sundown and have plenty of time to ask around about Divine Beast Vah Rudania, but having to turn back around like that has really put me behind in time. Not to mention I also ran into several fire-breathing monsters trying to kill me every step of the way, including this gigantic, flaming bolder-monster called an Igneo Talus that just seemed to have a really strong, irresistible urge to want to make me into an overcooked pancake for whatever reason...

Not that I can blame it, really. I haven't had pancakes myself in, like, _forever!_ If it's a craving for hot pancakes that drove that Igneo Talus to take such drastic measures, then I can totally relate.

 _I just kinda prefer not to BE the pancake. You know?_

Anyway, although the hour has grown late after my series of unexpected setbacks, and daylight is fading fast, the sight of many Gorons at work tells me that I have arrived at my destination at last: _Goron City!_

 _...Or have I?_

I have a look at my surroundings. Something about the local architecture strikes me as...odd.

More specifically; the lack thereof.

Sure, there stands an occasional tent pitched here and there, but not a single house in sight. _Is this really what the Gorons consider a 'city'?_ I approach one of the local workers to ask him where I am.

"Excuse me, sir..?"

The Goron I address doesn't appear to have noticed me. He continues to chisel away into some rock with his pickax. I tap his shoulder to get his attention as I address him louder. "Sir..?!"

I have apparently caught his attention this time; the poor guy nearly jumps out of his skin. "Bah! You scared me!" he says with a jolt. "What is it?!"

"What is this place?" I ask him.

"Take a look around," he says to me. "This is where we dig up ore. We call it the Southern Mine."

I glance again at my surroundings. "The _Southern Mine?"_

The Goron nods before turning back to his work. "I need to concentrate while I'm workin'," he says while politely shooing me off. "If you wanna talk, come see me when it's nighttime."

"Wait..." I address once more before I'm dismissed. I pull up the map on the Sheikah Slate and show it to him. "How far to Goron City? Can you point it out?"

"Hm? Goron City?" He glances at my map and quickly points to a location a considerable distance away yet. "It's right around there; at the foot of the volcano. Just keep goin' down this road and you'll get there in 'bout an hour or two—dependin' on how fast you move."

 _Another hour...or TWO?!_ I feel my face drop at these words. "Alright, that'll be all then..." I say to the Goron. "Thanks for your time." He nods and resumes his work, eager to finish up before it gets too dark out; a feeling I can relate to very well at this moment, although I obviously won't be having the privilege of achieving that desire today. _It looks like I won't be reaching Goron City until after nightfall after all..._

I sigh quietly to myself and continue on my way. However, I soon spot another Hylian out here trailing off the path a short ways. This is unexpected; to see anyone who isn't a Goron all the way out here while Death Mountain is so dangerously active like this is quite the unusual occurrence. I can only wonder what drives this fellow to brave the burning air. _He's not a member of the Yiga, is he?_ I decide to approach him to make sure he's harmless.

He appears to be scanning the ground as if searching for something. "Are there any over here?" I hear him mutter to himself as I get closer.

"Hey. What's up?" I ask him casually, taking care not to show any sign of suspicion.

"Oh, hey! Perfect!" he says excitedly at my greeting. "You showed up at just the right time."

"Oh, really..?" I say, wondering what he could possibly mean by that. _Even if he IS an assassin hunting for the head of the Hero, he'd be a fool to strike here where there are so many witnesses present..._

Fortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case. He nods innocently and explains his intentions; "I'm on my way back from Goron City but forgot to buy souvenirs. I wanted to capture some of those fireproof lizards that live here on Death Mountain, but those suckers are quick."

 _Ah, so he's just a businessman hunting for lizards? That sounds pretty harmless._

"Say, you look pretty speedy," he continues to me. "I bet you could catch a ton! If you bring me 10, I'll even give you some heat-resistant armor. So, what do you say, buddy? Help a pal out of a jam by capturing me some fireproof lizards?"

I smile at the offer. Judging the look of this guy, he appears pretty sincere. I've had more than enough encounters with the Yiga by now to quickly tell the difference between the honest folk and a disguised assassin, and I find no deception in this fellow. "Leave it to me!" I answer him.

"Great! Thanks, buddy!" he says with a fist-pump. "Just 10 fireproof lizards should be enough. You can probably find some right around here!"

Next thing I know; I'm diligently searching the area for the lizards he seeks. After all, this is a pretty good deal we're both getting. I know for a fact how difficult these lizards are to catch but I've had enough experience that I can pull it off rather efficiently now. They can be used to make some very useful elixirs, including those that I am currently relying on to survive this scorching heat of Death Mountain _(although it IS pretty gross to have to drink)_ , and so they are quite valuable and can fetch a good price. I can see why he's hunting them. Meanwhile, that armor he is offering me is just as valuable; with it, I'll be able to manage out here _without_ having to depend on the elixirs, so this will definitely be worth my time!

—Unless, of course, he's just scamming me... _Better hope that's not the case!_

Still, I don't mind taking a moment to help someone out. Granted, I _AM_ going to be disappointed if I'm being lied to, but I since would have agreed to help even if he hadn't promised me anything in return, I guess it's not really a loss for me either way. I'm really hoping that he does keep his word, of course, but I'm just going to have to wait and see.

As I continue hunting for fireproof lizards and thinking about the armor I may be getting for this, I pause for a moment to caress the Zora armor I'm already wearing. It's not heat-resistant but it remains my most treasured possession of all. As my fingers trace around the white scale sewn into the breastplate like a precious gem, my mind races back to the day when I first received this treasured armor from King Dorephan back in Zora's Domain...

Which is also the day I at last managed to recover the first of my lost memories.

Memories...of Mipha...

* * *

After my audience with King Dorephan in the throne room, I had walked back down the stairs of Zora's Domain to the lower plaza after Sidon and Muzu. The armor still tucked under my arm so no one would have to see it in my possession, I carried it with feelings of guilt weighing on my mind. Even though it was by the king's orders, I still didn't feel right at all about taking claim of the armor made by Lady Mipha for the man she loved. I also hated the fact that I couldn't remember anyone or anything even though I was apparently once quite close with several of these Zora.

Believe it or not, but even having accidentally dropped and wasted that last fish from my delicious skewer a few moments earlier was actually beginning to feel trivial in comparison!

I quickly found the two Zora men bickering by the foot of the statue in the plaza's center, as expected. "I don't care what you say!" I could hear Muzu shout, still fuming with anger.

"Muzu... Please listen..." I heard Sidon say, trying to calm the infuriated elder but to no avail. Their quarrel was interrupted and attention turned towards me as I approached.

Muzu immediately gave me a cold scowl. " _Hmph._ You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you." I hadn't really prepared anything to say, but it was already obvious that any words to escape my mouth would only fall upon deaf ears.

Sidon spoke up; "Listen well, Muzu. There is something you need to know," he said with a stern and serious countenance, all of his usual cheeriness and enthusiasm now replaced with an authoritative tone of utmost sobriety. "He who stands here...the man called Link...is the one whom my sister, Mipha, had feelings for. I was only a child then, so I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister's undying love for a Hylian named Link."

 _Wait. WHAT..?!_

Muzu and I both jolted back in utter shock. "What?! No..." said the elder in disbelief. He looked about ready to have a heart attack! He stood agape at this unthinkable news. We both did. Neither one of us knew how to react. I initially wondered if Sidon was merely pulling the grumpy elder's leg, but there was not the slightest glint of mirth in his eyes; he was dead serious.

 _I... I can't believe it... I'M Mipha's beloved?! This beautifully-crafted armor in my hands... the guy she actually made it for...is ME?!_

Muzu at last broke out of his daze; anger and denial raging in his eyes. "You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora!" he vehemently protested before shooting me a death-glare. "How could Lady Mipha possibly have feelings for a Hylian like him?! The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon Princess Mipha's statue..."

"It is the truth, Muzu," said Sidon soberly, though with a small tint of somberness in his eyes. "Though you never knew it, he was ever in Mipha's heart."

The two Zora men continued to debate the matter back and forward with flustered objections coming unceasingly from Muzu in denial only to be countered one after another by calm reassurances from Sidon. But I Didn't really hear much more of it. My enthralled gaze remained fixed solely on the statue before me...

 _Lady Mipha..._

Everything else seemed to fade from my senses. Every word to be exchanged between Sidon and Muzu was completely drowned out. The sculptured Zora woman looming over me in the pouring rain was the only thing in existence to me at that moment.

 _Was I really her beloved?_

Those stone, lifeless eyes almost seemed to stare right back into mine, somberly returning my gaze as if pleading... Pleading for me to remember.

 _Mipha... Princess Mipha..._

My heart began to pound. Many things soon washed over me as I stared in awe upon that magnificent statue; familiarity... emotion... memories.

Yes; _memories_... Cherished memories finally beginning to return...

Memories of my days of youth spent sneaking off to Zora's Domain to spend some extra time with my best friend; memories of swimming beside a graceful princess who always treated me just like one of her own; memories of sparring practices held with a trident-wielding champion whose skills as a warrior were rivaled only by her kindness of heart; memories...of Lady Mipha...

 _MY_ Mipha...

* * *

A distant and fuzzy memory washed over me... A memory from the day when I first laid eyes on a Zora...

I was only four years old at the time, so I don't recall much, but I faintly remember being brought to Zora's Domain in the company of a group of Hylian soldiers for some reason I barely grasped. I didn't really understand it, but I guess there was something unusual about me that someone in the Royal Guard said should be tested and that someone among the Zora would know more about it. I was amazed at the sight of so much water flowing everywhere and the glowing rocks that illuminated the domain, but even more so, I was astounded to see all the tall, aquatic people who looked like fish. Their king was kind and fatherly, their children seemed intelligent beyond their years, but there was one individual I soon met that day who particularly stood out from the rest...

The princess.

She seemed significantly older than me (I would have guessed her to be about 11 or 12 years old, give or take...though I was later proven to be quite wrong, as the Zora age at only about a third of the rate that Hylians do). Her scales were a deep crimson color and her eyes a radiant amber. She seemed pretty shy around the adults but opened up freely to the small child that was me. Her smile was prettier than the sunrise and as loving as that of my own mother. She introduced herself to me as Lady Mipha and we immediately became fast friends.

Being the accident-prone child that I was, I had several cuts and bruises here and there that were apparently quite noticeable. She was quick to point them out and asked to have a look at them. What she did next left me in utter amazement; by merely holding her hands over my wounds, a soothing glow emitted from them that numbed the sting. As the serene light from her palms faded, so did all signs of my wounds. I had never seen such magic before. My admiration for this kind princess instantly doubled and I was filled with intrigue. I thanked her earnestly and received the most endeared smile in return. Although my memories of the rest of that day remain a blur, the impression she made was one that would forever remain etched within my young mind even as I grew older. I saw many new things that day and had made a new friend who showed great kindness and possessed amazing powers that I could barely wrap my head around. When the time came to return home, I already couldn't wait to see her again.

And I would get that chance soon enough...

As time went on and the years passed, visits to Zora's Domain became increasingly frequent for me as I grew old enough to officially train in the art of swordsmanship. I was commonly brought to practice together with the Zora children in their spear-training, where I would put my skills of combat to the test against theirs an try my hand at spearmanship myself. It was quite the challenge to keep up with them, since they all had so many more years of experience behind them than I possibly could yet. After all; not only were they a lot bigger than me, since I did start training at a pretty young age and also never was very big among others my age anyhow, but even the Zora who were my size were still thrice my age due to the differences in our respective lifespans, meaning that they've all had a _lot_ more time than me to gain experience! Nonetheless, I was somehow able to come out on top in a decent number of sparring matches myself, so I guess it wasn't as unfair as it sounds.

The main thing I struggled with, however, was being accepted... Being so much younger than the rest, I was looked down upon in more ways than one and really had to push myself to prove my right to train with kids so much bigger and older than me. And of course, being a Hylian made me a complete outsider to the Zora, which naturally meant that I'd be the object of much attention whenever I trained with them. Having so many eyes constantly on me, just waiting to see how badly I might fail, put me under extra pressure to keep up with the others. Not the slightest mistake I made would ever go unnoticed...

Nor unpunished.

Wishing to be treated with equal dignity, I would constantly try to prove myself by trying to outdo those who looked down on me as the outsider I was. And in the process, I would often wind up injured from my own recklessness. Whether it'd be from challenging the best spearman in class at his own game on my first day of training with a spear, jumping from a high-dive when I could barely swim yet, or even taking up a dare to pick a fight with a monster in the wilderness, I would do one stupid thing after another in a foolish attempt to gain the respect of my Zora classmates. And every time, I would only end up hurting myself...both physically and egotistically. A fitting end to meet for my recklessness, I suppose.

But every time, a certain someone would always be there... That very Zora with eyes like amber and a smile sweeter than even the sweetest of honey who had befriended and healed me on my first visit to the domain; she was always ready and willing to heal me yet again without hesitation the minute she saw me hurt.

 _Mipha._

The magic touch of her hands quelled the pain and closed my every wound, and then those very same hands would wipe aside my tears as she spoke to me softly; reminding me to be more careful and reassuring me that I would always have value in her eyes whether others saw me as impressive or not. It was not long before she took me under her wing and privately tutored me in the way of the spear herself. She proved to be a great mentor, as her own skills were unrivaled by any of her peers due to having been personally trained since her youth by none other than the legendary Demon Sergeant Seggin himself. Having gotten in so much extra practice in spearmanship with a senior student like her, I soon climbed my way up the ranks and got to be as good with a spear as I was with a sword, scoring me a place among the top students myself.

Sure, it didn't happen overnight, and I did still get a lot of ridicule from some of the Zora jocks I trained with for some time yet. But no matter how badly I'd make a fool of myself trying to fit in, Mipha was always there to stand up for me. Nobody would ever even _think_ about doing anything to upset the beloved princess, which means no one would dare to mock someone whom she personally cared so much about. She was my healer, my mentor, my comfort, my protector...my friend. When everyone saw that their own princess had accepted me just like any Zora, it was not long before they did too (although some did so only reluctantly, but others were very genuine). After they gave me a chance, I soon found myself with a close circle of Zora friends who welcomed and accepted me just like one of their own. I had even grown my hair out solely so I could style it in a way that would resemble a Zora: having long sidelocks and a ponytail to match the fins and fishtail respectively that extend from a Zora's head.

As the years went on and I continued my training with sword, spear, and bow, my Zora friends and I continued to grow closer all the more. I often spent more time at the domain than necessary just to hang out with them, and it was not long before I was a member of the ' _Big Bad Bazz Brigade'_ in spite of my smaller size. As a Hylian, however, I aged much faster than my Zora friends and soon caught up with and eventually even surpassed them all in physical growth; no longer was I the smallest of the group, nor did anyone look to me as a child anymore. Despite being the youngest, I looked more grown-up than any of them! It was a little awkward, to be honest...

But no matter how many friends I had, none could take me from the quality time I'd always reserve for my best and most beloved friend of all;

 _Mipha._

It was she who first made me feel welcome at Zora's Domain. It was she who opened the hearts of the other Zora to accept me when I was an outsider. It was she who healed my wounds whenever I'd hurt myself, sparing me from having to spend several weeks recovering...and quite possibly saving me from having to face an injury-induced retirement from my training altogether. I would have never became the person I was, nor made the friends I had, if not for her. She was more like family than a mere friend, and she meant more to me than words could say. From the very start, she took to me like a little brother, and I always looked up to her like a big sister. However, as I continued to grow so much faster than her and the other Zora, things slowly and subtly began to change in the way we looked at each other...

No longer did she tower over me like when we first met; by the time I was in my early teens, we already looked to be about the same age in spite of her being 3x older than me, and before I knew it, I was soon the one standing taller than her. The more I matured -both physically and mentally- the more I grew onto her level of living and thinking. That reckless child whom she had taken under her wing those years ago was gone and replaced with a boy aged enough to be counted among her peers. Neither one of us was senior nor junior to the other anymore; we both now saw each other as equals in maturity, each possessing our own unique sets of skills and talents that the other might not. And although the admiration I felt for her never lessened in the slightest, it eventually began to take on a new shape... a change in tone that I could never quite put into words.

The day I first saw her loving smile and felt her gentle touch, the feelings that resonated within me were much like those I had for my mother; I saw in her an older individual bearing a vast amount of knowledge, experience, and capability beyond my childish comprehension. She was something beyond me that I could only look forward to being able to emulate one day when I, too, would eventually be grown-up enough in a seemingly far-off future that I could only yet dream of. But as I grew old enough to see and interact with her at her own level, the chemistry between us gradually evolved into something entirely different. That very same smile of hers was now an entrancing thing of unrivaled beauty that I couldn't get enough of. Her touch sent a shiver down my spine that made my heart race. She was no longer that older girl whom I could depend on to protect me in my mother's absence; she was my most precious and reliable partner in this unpredictable journey called _life_ whom I wanted nothing more than to share it all with in both good times and in bad; to protect and support her for as long as I live...

Unfortunately, fate appeared to have other plans in store...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! ...And I am _SO SORRY_ about how long it took me to finally update this story again! It's been, what, almost a year now?! Man! I'm terrible! For the record, though; I actually have had this chapter just about finished for the past several months now. The reason I hadn't uploaded it was mainly because I haven't felt very satisfied with how it turned out and wanted to improve it but couldn't figure out what to do differently. I still feel that it turned out rather mediocre at best but this hiatus has gone on long enough. Mediocrity is better than nothing, I guess...**

 **One of the issues I've had with this chapter is its length; it was over 9,000 words! o_0' For this reason, I decided to split this chapter into two parts. The next one is pretty much finished already and should be uploaded sometime within this next week or so. It's kinda weird to have to split this scene while it's still in the middle of a flashback (especially since it's pretty much a flashback within a flashback! LOL) but that's just the way it has to be right now...**

 **Anyway, my thanks to anyone who is still following this story even after such a long hiatus! I know the updating has been slow, but promise you; I will NOT be abandoning this project.**


	5. Memories Awakened (part 2)

**.**

 **Chapter 5  
** _Memories Awakened (part 2)_

 _*Continuing the flashback from Ch.4...*_

As time continued and I climbed up the ranks to knighthood quicker than I wanted to while still only a teen, my duties in the service of the Hyrulean Guard increased drastically...preventing me from spending nearly as much time around Zora's Domain as I used to. Furthermore, Mipha's own duties as Princess of the Zora kept her even more busy than I was. Neither of us was ever granted much time for ourselves anymore, much less time to travel halfway across the land just to visit one another. And even when one of us did get the rare privilege to make an appearance around the other's homeland, it was typically on official business and we seldom managed to squeeze in even a minute of time together among the chaos of our tight and colliding schedules. Life was causing us to slowly grow apart whether we liked it or not...

Whenever the rare chance did allow me to visit the domain, even if only briefly as a matter of business, I eventually began to find my time there more painful than joyful... Zora's Domain was once a second home to me, yet I found myself growing ever more alienated from the very places and people I held so dear. The little time that I was allowed was much too brief to make any real use of. I had but a few short minutes to essentially just say "hello" and "goodbye" to my Zora friends, which was enough communication to only leave me feeling even more distant from them rather than keeping close. We couldn't possibly catch up for real with the very limited time we had to speak, and they each had so much that had happened in their lives that I was missing since the last time I saw them...and even more that would happen before I would finally get to see them again. Everyone whom I considered a close friend —and even thought of as my extended family— was becoming more and more of a stranger to me each time I saw them. Every visit only made it all the more clear that their lives were changing ever so much...

And I could no longer be a part of it.

This was especially bothersome concerning my relationship with Mipha. Although she was the one I especially wanted to see whenever I arrived at Zora's Domain, she was also the one whom I was growing most afraid to speak to anymore. With so much constantly changing in the lives of my Zora friends between each of my visits to the domain and the next, it especially pained me to learn how much of hers I was missing out on. We were both growing so much in our time apart that I found myself almost dreading to see her; afraid to inevitably find one day that I don't even know her anymore. And given the way things seemed to be going, I feared that day was soon upon me. With each passing day, as I was busy climbing into the ranks of knighthood, she was growing more and more into a young leader to one day inherit her father's throne.

Which she would surely rule...with a king of her own by her side.

This was a thought that I found especially hard to take somehow. She and I had been so tight for as long as I could remember, no one else could have possibly held a bigger place in my heart than she did, but I knew we were growing apart and that it was only to be expected that she'd sooner or later find others to grow closer to instead of forever holding onto just one guy whom she almost never sees anymore as her 'closest friend'. We couldn't expect to still be each other's 'best friend forever' at the rate things were going, and I certainly didn't want her to be lonely just because I wasn't around anymore like I used to be, so I should be happy to know she's getting along without me and has found someone else to keep her company in my constant absence.

But I wasn't. I am ashamed to say the very idea of someone else growing closer to her than I had been felt very disturbing even to think about, and the fact that she was at the age where she'd soon be met with many potential suitors seeking to court her filled me with an extra feeling of dread.

Every time I heard from her, I found myself constantly bracing my gut for the piercing news that she was now in courtship with someone. I didn't know why the thought upset me so much. _Was it not only natural that she'd fall in love someday?_ _As her friend, I should be happy for her when that day comes.._. yet I instead found myself dreading it beyond belief. There was no reason why I should feel the way I did. After all, it's not like her future-lover would be replacing me; Mipha and I may have been close, but we were still only friends, not lovers. Besides, even if we did decide one day that we wanted to take things further and become a couple, it wouldn't have worked out anyway. She was a Zora and I a Hylian; she a princess and I a commoner; there's no way King Dorephan would have allowed such a union if we asked!

... _Would he?_

It mattered not. My relationship with Mipha had only ever been platonic and I never had any intention of changing it.

... _But then why was I constantly feeling the need to remind myself of this fact so much? And why did it bother me to think that she might fall in love with another man behind my back?_ As much as I hated to admit it, the facts were clear; I was _jealous_. The very idea of someone else coming between me and my precious Mipha absolutely frosted me. I despised myself for feeling this way, as I had no right or reason to consider her my own, but I'd be lying to deny my ever-growing jealousy over her.

Fortunately, any news of her showing signs of falling in love with someone as I had found myself dreading still hadn't come up. _How would she feel about taking our relationship a level higher, anyhow_ _?_ I realized I never actually thought about it before. I'll admit the idea was really beginning to grow on me.

 _...But wait! Such a union isn't possible!_ As I had already long ruled out; a Hylian commoner could never be an appropriate match for a Zora princess. The man whom she is to marry will become the next king of Zora's Domain; a title I neither desired nor could fulfill even if I wanted to. What's worse; because her kind lives _thrice_ as long as mine does she would surely outlive me by about a century-and-a-half. Besides all this, even if we _had_ been the same race and social status, the fact that we almost never saw each other anymore was enough of an obstacle in the way already that showed no sign of letting up anytime soon—and seemed to only be growing worse. If our respective duties made it impossible to find time for even our _friendship,_ then how could I even _think_ about making a relationship work?!

For as much as I adored Mipha and wanted to keep her closer than anyone, it was painfully plain to see that a future together with her just wouldn't be possible. We were both still too young to be thinking that far ahead yet and life was already in the process of rapidly pulling us apart. By the time either of us would actually be ready to even begin making any real plans for the future, the tight bond we once had would have already been long lost. And it was only a matter of time before she would inevitably find a nice Zora suitor before then whom she would go on to share the rest of her life with while I only continue to grow into a stranger to her...

The truth was as undeniable as it was bitter; Mipha and I could never be. As difficult as it was to do, I needed to learn to let go. Allowing myself to grow jealous over a girl who could never be mine clearly wasn't healthy and nothing good can come from coveting the future-wife of someone else. I had to respect that she had her own future ahead of her and I had mine. The dreaded Calamity was said to be coming, after all, and I needed to focus on my knightly duties to aid Hyrule in combating it however I could—and that meant not letting my emotions get in the way of my training.

Following this painful realization, it became more difficult than ever to face Mipha during the few occasions I actually saw her. I couldn't possibly tell her about how I felt—doing so would only make her feel guilty about the day she falls in love knowing that giving her heart to someone means leaving mine broken, and I certainly didn't want to burden her with any regrets about what should be a happy occasion in her future. I didn't like having to cut myself off from her one bit, but it was only a matter of time before she and I grew completely apart anyhow, and so letting ourselves continue to drift away from each other seemed to be for the best.

Having no choice but to accept what fate had in store, I took on an ever more stoic demeanor, focusing only on my duties and training alone. I had no time to waste trying in vain to reconnect with old friends nor to go out and make new ones. Forming attachments would only add extra emotional baggage and give me something more to worry about losing in the upcoming Calamity. I had to focus on only one goal now; to grow strong enough to fend off the approaching evil and secure a safe future for Hyrule.

A future...where my best friend can live in peace and start her own family without pain or regret... unlike what I was silently being haunted by each and every day.

My dedication seemed to be fruitful, since it was not long before King Rhoam himself took notice of my skills and even appointed me as Princess Zelda's personal bodyguard, which led to most of my time being spent traveling by her side during her frequent expeditions across Hyrule. I still didn't see much of Mipha, but because she and I were both appointed Champions to represent our respective races in the battle against the Calamity, it was inevitable that we'd have the occasional audience yet. I would try to keep my interactions with her brief and impersonal on such occasions, as I couldn't even bring myself to look her in the eye anymore. Although I would constantly find myself gazing quietly to her from afar, my eyes would immediately turn away the instant she looked back at me. In my heart, I deeply wanted to just take the opportunity to approach her and reconnect...but doing so would only make facing the inevitable future all the more painful. I couldn't begin to count how many times I had to remind myself of this fact.

Fortunately, the occasions where I saw her were still very infrequent yet and typically in the presence of many others —especially since I was constantly assigned to the confinements of staying by Princess Zelda's side— so the lack of opportunity to get in any personal time together with Mipha made up for my lack of will to keep avoiding her. I doubt I could have resisted the desire to reconnect for long if we had been any more available.

But then came a day where I couldn't avoid her any further... I was sent to Zora's Domain on official business... _without_ the princess. This meant, for once, that I could take nearly all the extra time I wanted to hang around the domain and even reconnect with my many old friends there without interruption of duty. Naturally, they were excited for such an opportunity, and if I'm being honest; so was I. But at the same time, I was also somewhat dreading it... I dreaded to learn how much had changed since I was away; I dreaded to have to be reminded again of how much of a stranger I've become to those who were once my closest friends; I dreaded...to see Mipha again and have my heart broken...

 _She's probably found a suitor by now, given how much time it's been and how beautiful she's continued to grow..._

On my way to the domain that day, I found myself attacked by a group of monsters. I defeated them promptly, but took a bad wound to the arm in the process. I had no way of properly treating it at the time, so I just wrapped it as best as I could while keeping it looking inconspicuous to avoid it drawing attention during my short stay at Zora's Domain. After I arrived and the business I had been sent to carry out was quickly fulfilled, I was indeed invited to stay and spend some time with my old friends as expected. It was the first true gathering we had in ages and I was actually able to enjoy speaking with them again now that there wasn't such a big rush to return to duty right away like usual and so we could take our time socializing. In some ways, it proved to be one of the most enjoyable occasions I had experienced in quite awhile, but in others, it was also as painful as I anticipated.

One of the first things I had learned on that visit was that Rivan, one of my closest friends from the _Big Bad Bazz Brigade_ , was now engaged to a girl I never knew. Naturally, I was happy for him to have found someone to share his life with, but at the same time, the news had hit me as yet another painful reminder of how out-of-the-loop I have become with the gang. The very fact that he had apparently been seeing this girl for quite some time and I was only just now hearing about her existence at all certainly proved how much I was missing of my friends' developing lives nowadays. It likely wouldn't be long before they should start having children in the near future too and I wouldn't be around to see them grow...

But Rivan wasn't the only one with such plans for the future by the sound of things; some of the others seemed to be dropping hints...that Mipha had been in the process of painstakingly crafting with her own hands a certain suit of royal Zora armor...

The kind of which is custom...for a Zora princess to make for her future-husband.

My heart dropped when I heard this. It seemed the time had finally come where she had fallen in love as I had been anticipating would happen one day. It appeared that the girl whom I had allowed myself to grow so infatuated with was indeed the future-wife of another—which is something I had already figured for myself some time ago, but to actually have it confirmed for sure like this filled me with a sense of shame worse than ever before. I could only conceal my feelings from everyone and hope that I wouldn't have to meet the man she had fallen for. There was no way I'd be able to look him in the eye.

Despite my attempts to avoid having to face Mipha —especially after hearing the rumors that she had plans to present the Zora armor to a special someone— I still somehow found myself left alone with her upon Divine Beast Vah Ruta by sunset. I was uncomfortable and quietly flustered, unsure how to face her while secretly feeling the way I did. All I knew was that I couldn't let her find out how I really felt; finding love is something she should be happy about and I certainly didn't want to ruin that happiness of hers by making her feel sorry for me.

However, she still had yet to bring up the subject herself to confirm or deny the rumors I had been told, which made me fear that she must have been waiting with hidden excitement to personally tell me about her new lover—and quite possibly hoping to introduce me to him before I go. As eager as she may have been to let her old friend in on her joyous news, I just wasn't ready to listen to that right now... I hoped I could excuse myself from the scene before that happened and then maybe feign some urgent business forcing me to return to Hyrule Castle early so I could avoid hearing about this subject until a later day when my emotions are more stable, but any plans on getting away were instantly thwarted once she took notice of my wounded arm. Being the kindhearted healer she was who couldn't let any wound go untreated, she insisted I sit down so she could heal me with her powers. I obviously wouldn't be going anywhere until she was finished.

She sat beside me, her gentle hands upon my arm as a familiar, blue glow radiated from her palms. A soothing aura coursed through my body and gradually began to close my wound. I was doing all I could to avoid looking her in the eye lest my unstable emotions get the better of me. She also seemed unusually tense as she contended herself to her healing work. After some hesitation, she shyly began to make small talk;

"I was thinking... this reminds me of the time we first met," she began, breaking the awkward silence between us. "You were just a reckless child... always getting yourself hurt at every turn."

My exact memories of those days she was reminiscing about were fairly foggy since I was so little yet when they took place, but they most definitely did hold an eternal place in my mind and heart. Thinking about how much older she was than me, I realized those days that seemed like ancient history to my faster-aging mind would be much clearer to her; they were only as recent to her mind as about four years ago would be to mine.

"Every time, I would heal you..." she continued; "Just as I'm doing right now."

The nostalgia was hitting me hard as I sat still and silent listening to her. I did remember very well the way she constantly cared for me in the past... and the fact that I was currently in the middle of being so lovingly healed by her at that very moment she was talking about it only made those nostalgic times resonate all the more vividly within my memory. For as much as I was trying to force myself to let go of my emotional attachment to this lovely young woman whom I believed I'd soon have to forever part with, her nostalgia-inducing remarks and tender treatment towards me right now were making it impossible.

"I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did."

Slowly starting to wonder exactly where she was going with this, I turned to look to her at last—albeit not quite in the eye. I could tell she had something specific on her mind that she was waiting to bring up...yet it wasn't sounding at all like she was getting to the personal announcement of hers that I initially expected.

"I was..." she stuttered shyly, seemingly trying to keep from getting too emotional herself; "I was always willing to heal your wounds. Even back then."

Before I knew it, she had removed her gentle hands from my arm. I had grown so lost in thought by the conversation that I nearly forgot I was in the middle of being healed. I looked to the wound to find it completely absent, as if it had never been there in the first place. There was always something about her healing touch that did more than just ease physical pain: it also brings an inward sense of peace and leaves one feeling even better than they did prior to their injury. I'll admit it; I missed this soothing feeling even more than I realized. I even felt reluctant to have the healing procedure over so quickly.

The two of us continued to sit upon the Divine Beast's trunk, both deep in thought. "So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do?" said Mipha. "We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against."

This, of course, was a question that had long been lingering on my own mind everyday as well... It had been on _everyone's_ minds, really. Even those who preferred not to talk about it likely thought about the dreaded Calamity's return each and every day as they tried to ignore the many signs of its coming and get on with living out their daily lives. And as the most crucial of the five Champions chosen to combat it, I always felt under constant pressure to hone my skills nonstop and maintain an image of a strong, dependable hero that others could rely on to protect them on that fated day we all hoped would never come to pass. Even though I made a point to never show it, the truth always was; I was deeply scared.

But Mipha's following words —spoken shyly, but full of determination and genuine protectiveness— gave a sense of comfort I wasn't expecting to find; "But know this: that no matter how difficult this battle might get... if you—if anyone ever tries to do you harm... Then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound... I hope you know... that I will always protect you."

With each word she spoke, I was finding myself growing more and more cut to the heart and trying not to get emotional. I had grown so accustomed to being seen by everyone as only the guy meant to somehow fill the role of the 'hero of legend' expected to deliver Hyrule from the upcoming Calamity's blight, which brings many eyes constantly upon me with great expectations I must satisfy and doubts I must disprove, yet all concerns of both mine and theirs were only ever for _their_ safety; my own well-being in the end was irrelevant as long as those I'm meant to protect make it out okay. To have someone voice such heartfelt concern over _me_ for a change —and not as the hero whom everyone is relying on to save them, but as _Link:_ a common individual whose life is just as frail as anyone else's— was a breath of fresh air I didn't know I needed.

Put simply: even after all this time apart, it seemed that nothing had changed with Mipha in the least. She was still _exactly_ the Zora I always remembered her to be.

She sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring down into the reservoir's waters beneath us, as if having something more she wanted to say but was still trying to piece together how to say it. "Once this whole this is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young," came her words meekly. "You know..."

She took a brief pause as she slowly turned to face me, locking our eyes at last for the first time in _I-don't-know-how-long-anymore._

And I now had no intention of looking away.

Her sweet and shy smile illuminated in the sunset, her amber eyes sparkling with affection as they gazed into mine, her fins blowing ever beautifully in the gentle breeze, she went on to speak the most simple yet touching words to melt my heart as I realized at last her intentions; "Perhaps we could spend some time together."

It was at that moment when I finally understood... The reason she took me aside in private wasn't because she had any special updates she was hoping to share about her life that I was missing out on like Rivan and the others did. If that were the case, and if she really had some special someone whom she had started seeing, she would have brought it up by now. No, she only wanted...to take some time to personally reconnect with someone she still cherished.

The bond we once shared still meant just as much to her as it did to me, and she didn't want to have to let it go either. She knew as well as I did that we were slowly growing apart, but unlike me who had given in to accept it, she intended to keep that from happening. I realized at last what a fool I must have been to think she'd be willing to let ourselves grow into strangers after all we had been through together. She cared far too much to let something as trivial as time restraints and travel distances ruin a relationship she holds dear. And even if she were to ever fall in love with someone one day, that wouldn't make her cherish her friendship with me any less.

My stoic mask was broken at last. Tears were forming in my eyes and ready to run down my cheeks any second. A heartfelt smile I couldn't hold back if I tried tugged relentlessly at my face. An outpour of emotions I've kept bottled up for so long were about to burst out from within me. I...

I, um...

Uh...

 _...What happened after that point?_

* * *

I seemed to have reached the end of what my fractured memory could currently recover yet, but it was enough to clear up my perspectives on the present and completely overwhelm my emotions. Tears were flowing down my face as I stood there in the plaza of Zora's Domain before the memorial statue of Lady Mipha, though they likely weren't as obvious to see in the pouring rain.

My emotional state apparently still showed quite clearly, however, as evident by the worried look Sidon was giving me. "What is the matter, Link?" he asked me. "Are you unwell?"

I apparently must have been trembling pretty badly; even the Hylian-hating Muzu was now giving me a look of concern. "Hm? You are quivering like a hatchling... Whatever is the matter?"

My mind was racing fast. My heart was feeling heavy yet pounding hard. I much was too shaken to speak without breaking out into sobbing. After some deep breaths, I just barely managed to conjure a weak reply to the two Zora men staring worriedly at me;

"Mipha... I remember."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Although I normally start each chapter in this fanfic with a passage from one of those** _ **"History of the Zora"** _**monuments found throughout Lanayru in BotW, followed by a scene depicting Link coping in the present moment before getting into a flashback telling the main story, I decided against it for this chapter due to it being a direct continuation of the previous one. It's just kinda hard to do when you're picking up in the middle of a flashback that's essentially occurring within another flashback. LOL**

 **Anyway, I wanted to write more about Link's backstory growing up in Zora's Domain but I decided that might be better off as its own story instead, and so I'm thinking I'll eventually write a separate fanfic in the future telling about young Link's shenanigans as a member of the Big Bad Bazz Brigade. In the meantime, I want to make sure I finish this current story first before starting another one. I'll try to increase my update rate.**


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